Blanket of Nails
by CherryXButterfly
Summary: Tenten felt like she wasn't allowed to cry, even for the loss of the person closest to her heart. But certain situations in life can force even a strong willed kunoichi to break, especially when she is forced to hide more secrets than just her feelings. Post-war NejiTen with NaruHina on the side. -COMPLETE REWRITE OF THE ORIGINAL-
1. Keeping it All Hidden

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 12/29/13: I guess I owe you all an explanation. Well for those of you who read the original version of Blanket of Nails, I deleted it. I mean it went way downhill at the end and I can do much better. So I plan on making this one a lot better. And a little more realistic to the plot of Naruto. It'll still have the same characters, but I'm changing around the plot a lot and keeping some characters…in character. I don't think I'll add the ghost Neji or Kiri plotlines. I'm sorry if you liked the old one, but I couldn't stand it at the end. So ladies and gentleman, here is the new and improved Blanket of Nails. **_

_**Warning: If you don't already know that Neji died, well uhh idk what to tell you… **_

_**Chapter 1: Keeping it All Hidden**_

* * *

"TWACK!" the kunai hit the target so hard that it very nearly hit the board in half. Tenten looked at it and frowned. That was probably the 100th board that she had destroyed in the last week. She hated that. Not because she was exhausting her pay, but because the target boards and her weapons were the only thing that she could train with now. Yes Gai and Lee were there too, but looking at them made it all the more harder.

It had been nearly a month since they had returned from war, and still all Tenten desired was alone time. Training alone, walking home alone, and not leaving her apartment unless it was to get food or train. That's how it really had been since Neji died. Winning the war only gave her a little joy. Had Neji survived through it, it would've been one of the greatest things ever. But now all she felt was anger. Going to Neji's funeral was difficult in itself, but she couldn't stomach seeing his body. It would've probably been too much to bear, even for a girl like her.

"Stupid, faulty equipment," she groaned as she kicked it.

Naruto and Hinata had been watching silently from the side. While neither of them were particularly close to her, she was still a friend. They knew that while Tenten wasn't the strongest kunoichi out there, she was still one of the most dedicated and hardworking. But to see her try so hard to forget the sadness she was really feeling, the word heartbreaking was a tragic understatement. Even Naruto could see that.

"She's been like this since the funeral…" Hinata sighed.

"Yeah, and just how many boards has she destroyed just this week?" Naruto asked, scratching his head. He wondered how just one person could break so many boards with just a kunai.

"Should we invite her to train with us?" Hinata inquired.

"We could, but where's her team?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"Lee-kun says she just wants to be alone. She doesn't seem to be around anyone…"

"You know I can hear and see you right?" Naruto and Hinata jumped at the sound of Tenten's voice. Her back was slightly turned and she could see them perfectly from the corner of her eye.

"…" neither of them could think of what to say. From what they've heard from people who had been in close proximity with Tenten in the last month, her wrath was pretty scary.

Tenten sighed and shook her head. "Look I'm not mad. But if you have something to say to me, don't hide behind a tree like that all right?"

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, "We weren't hiding behind a tree! We were just waiting for you to finish up with your training."

"I already told Gai-sensei and Lee, I just want to be alone," Tenten shook her head.

Naruto huffed, "You've been alone this whole time! No more!"

Tenten spun around and shot Naruto an icy look, "And just who do you think you are, giving me orders?"

"Your friend! And the future Hokage!" Naruto answered.

Tenten's face softened slightly and once again, she sighed, "Look, things have been…kind of difficult lately. I just need a while to myself.

"Kind of difficult" was a tragically large understatement, and everyone knew it.

Tenten sighed, "Okay fine. I'll come and train with you guys tomorrow. Fair?"

Naruto grinned and Hinata gave a small smile, "Y-yes it is!"

"Yeah! Meet us at the training grounds at 9 tomorrow!" Naruto grinned. He then turned to Hinata, "Hey let's go get some ramen to celebrate a mission accomplished."

'_So getting me to hang out is considered a mission now?' _Tenten groaned internally. She shook her head and looked up at the sky. It was dusk. And training after dark was never a good idea. The jagged scar down Tenten's arm proved that.

Tenten's apartment was all the way on the other side of Konoha, so maybe she could get a bite to eat. She shook the idea out of her head. There was a chance that the rest of the Konoha 11 were trying to get her to hang out, so she decided to get right home. There was something that she needed to do anyway…

* * *

Tenten slammed the door to the apartment closed. She pressed her back up against the wood and stared. Her apartment was a mess. Mostly because when she was home, it was only to sleep, bathe, and eat. But it was also the only place that she could go to where she didn't have to worry about anything.

For nearly a month since Neji's death, she'd preferred to close herself off a little bit. Shinobi were not allowed to show emotion and tears were absolutely unacceptable.

'_Come on Tenten, get a hold of yourself!' _her mind screamed at her as she allowed the tears to flow nonstop. That was as much emotion as she allowed herself to show even in the privacy of her own home.

She wouldn't stop. Her heart was broken in several places, and it was unlikely that it would ever be fully repaired. She'd never dealt with such a personal loss. Well not that she could remember. She lost her parents when she was a little over a year old. She'd taken care of herself ever since with some help from the rest of the villagers. Her team was the closest thing to a family she had. But after losing Neji, being around Gai and Lee was especially more difficult. She wanted to distance herself as much as possible from them. If she lost them too, her world would probably shatter too. She'd preferred not to allow that to happen.

She wiped her tears away as her stomach began to grumble. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. When she opened the fridge, her heart sank. The only thing that was in the fridge was soba. Herring soba. It had been Neji's favorite food. And also one of the only things she craved recently. She wasn't doing her emotional and mental states any favors by eating her fallen best friend's favorite food.

She didn't bother heating her food, even though it was early November. She preferred her food cold these days. She plopped down on the couch and watched the wall. Every inch of her wanted to scream and cry, but she refused to lose control. Neji wouldn't have wanted to see her like that. She was Tenten! She barely ever cried. No, scratch that. She never cried. She wouldn't even cry for Neji, the closest person to her heart. Even though that's all she really wanted to do. She'd heard some garbage about how holding it all in was a bad idea and that sharing it was healthy and blah blah blah. What did anyone know anyway? Some people coped better by holding it all in. Well, that's what Tenten figured anyway.

She used her chopsticks to mix around the food a little bit. She grabbed a piece of fish and was about to put it in her mouth when a wave of nausea hit her. She dropped the bowl of noodles and immediately ran to the bathroom. She had barely just kneeled in front of the toilet before all of the contents of her stomach emptied out into the bowl.

She stayed like that for a few minutes, feeling like she was going to puke all of her internal organs out. This was something that happened nearly every night for the past two weeks now. She had a suspicion as to what was wrong with her, but she would deny it every time. Even when her mind was screaming it at her.

'_**You have a test under the sink! Quit being a baby and take it already!' **_

'_No, there is no way that I'm…' _

'_**Uhhh yeah there is. Should I remind you about that night in the tent…?' **_

'_No, I can remember that on my own thank you.' _

'_**Okay so why did you buy that test then? Come on Tenten, even you know what's wrong with you.' **_

'_No I can't…I can't be having a kid. Not now.' _

'_**Well, it's not just anyone's kid. Don't you want to know if you're having Hyuuga Neji's kid?' **_

'_Ugh, if I take the test, will you shut up?' _

'_**Yes.' **_

'_Fine…' _

Tenten moaned a little as she got up. She was feeling incredibly light headed. She opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a small box. She gulped as she looked at it. There was a chance that it could be wrong, right? She prayed that it wasn't. She didn't want to raise a kid alone. Especially not when that kid was going to be a Hyuuga. If she was, the Hyuuga would definitely be on her case. She shook the thought out of her head. This was not the time to be thinking like that.

She read the box. She cringed a little. She was supposed to pee on the thing and then wait 3 minutes. Couldn't it just give her the answer right away? One bar meant that she wasn't pregnant and two bars meant that she was. Easy enough, although she prayed that in the end it would be just one bar…

* * *

This had to be the longest three minutes of her life. But as she was waiting, thoughts of Neji came pouring back. She had to bite her tongue hard to keep herself from crying. If the test was a positive, then she would be alone in this. Worst of all, he would never know. And then she had the Hyuuga to worry about. Should she get an abortion if it was a positive? She shook that idea out of her head. If this was anyone else's then maybe she would have at least considered, but this was Neji's. The only thing left of him, so that made even adoption out of the question. No one would even want to take a Hyuuga child, knowing how much of a mess it would cause. Could she even afford to raise a kid by herself? Maybe. Kurenai was raising her child perfectly fine on her own. Was she ready? Probably not. Who had a baby at 18 these days anyway? Maybe a lot of girls, but she was Tenten.

All of the unnerving questions made her head spin. Luckily, for her the three minutes were up. She got up and took the test out of the cup. She hesitated before looking at the test. This was it. The moment of truth. She turned over the test and her breath got caught in her throat.

Looking back at her were two little faded bars…

* * *

_**Please Review. **_

_**Yes, I tried to keep her in character and I like how this chapter came out. Okay but really review this. I sort of thrive on feedback. But thanks for reading the first chapter! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	2. Restlessness

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 1/3/14: Happy New Years! Well looks like people didn't mind that last chapter too much. I'm glad. But in case you want to know, I do still have the original on my computer. Okay I'll repeat this again. I wasn't satisfied with the original one anymore, from beginning to end. Anyway, enjoy! **_

_**Warning: A flashback. **_

_**Chapter 2: Restlessness**_

* * *

The clock sounded like a gong as it ticked the seconds away. Well it did to Tenten, who had been tossing and turning tirelessly for hours. There was no way that she was going to get any sleep tonight. Or for the next 9 months most likely. Tears began falling, and Tenten figured it was the hormones kicking in. Well that's what she assumed. She didn't exactly have a lot of experience with pregnant women or babies. And now, she was expected to raise one.

She punched her pillow hard. Why now of all times? She'd only had sex one time. _One time! _Yes she knew that one time was all it took, but still. The earlier anger set in, except this time she really didn't know what to be angry at. She didn't know whether or not she should be angry at herself for being careless, or Neji for letting himself die and leaving her in this state. But being angry at Neji was a difficult task, but she couldn't help herself this time. Why on earth they'd been so careless that night was beyond her.

Well she couldn't say that she regretted it completely, but if her emotions were any indication, it would complicate things so much more. Should she cry? No probably not. Her heart was already broken in a million different places, no need to make it worse.

She tossed again. Her hand dropped down to her still flat abdomen. It still felt surreal. Back at the academy, it was necessary to take sex ed, so she knew what changes her body was going through. Well from a biological standpoint anyway. It was still hard to grasp that there was a tiny human being growing in there; a human being that Neji had helped her create, albeit accidentally.

Thinking of that brought Neji back into her mind. They'd spent so much time together, training together, and keeping each other sane. They really had no other choice, seeing as the other two on their team were absolute lunatics. Now he was gone. And she was alone.

A strangled sob escaped Tenten's throat unintentionally.

Over the last few months of his life, their relationship had stepped beyond the bounds of a regular comradery. And they had definitely crossed the fine line between being friends and lovers. Not that they'd really told anyone, because they themselves didn't know how to describe their relationship.

And finally about a week before they had gone to war, the relationship had gotten even more heated…

* * *

_**Flashback: **_

_Any chance of stopping a war from starting was slim to nothing at this point. Everyone was so busy preparing and being sent out on last minute missions. Naruto was busy as well learning how to control the Kyuubi's chakra. Even Gai and Lee had been dispatched. That left only Neji and Tenten. Neji was the only jonin in their age group, but he and Tenten worked perfectly as a team. So they were the ones who were sent out to the border of the Land of Fire. All they knew was that there was suspicious activities in that particular area. _

"_Hm, I think we were sent on a wild goose chase to be honest," Tenten sighed. _

"_Probably. But a mission is a mission," Neji replied, shaking his head. _

"_Well it's getting dark. And we're both exhausted. Maybe this should wait. It's not safe to travel through here at night," Tenten recommended. _

_Neji nodded his head. They jumped down to a tiny clearing in the middle of the forest. That was convenient._

"_Okay Tenten, I'll go get some firewood and you can set up the tent." _

"_Wait? We got a tent? What happened to sleeping bags?" Tenten blinked. _

"_Winter's coming up. Also we could be deployed any day now. We need all of the manpower, so we can't have you getting sick due to being exposed to cold air," Neji answered, handing her the tent. _

"_You act like I haven't done this before," Tenten grumbled. "I'm not a delicate little flower you know." _

_Neji chuckled, "Believe me; I of all people know that. But still I don't want to take any chances." _

_Tenten shook her head, "Yeah sure okay Hyuuga." _

_Neji smiled a little, "I hope you don't mind. I only brought one tent." _

_Tenten, who had begun trying to assemble the tent, froze. She turned and narrowed her eyes a little bit. "We have to share a tent?" _

_Neji didn't lose the smile, "Well, it's easier. And there's only the two of us." _

_Tenten didn't buy that. "Neji, if you think I seriously believe that, then you really aren't thinking straight. Seriously, what are you up to?" _

_Neji's smile faded as he sighed and walked towards her. "Okay yes I'm not telling the complete truth. And perhaps I'm not thinking straight. But I think…this may be our last chance to figure things out." _

_A confused look flashed across Tenten's face, "Figure things out? What are you talking about?" _

"_Us. I was talking about us," Neji responded, sighing. _

_Tenten just looked at him. Neji was practical and logical. He rarely gave into emotion. Especially on a mission. "Neji, is this really the time and place for that?" _

_Neji shook his head. "Of course it isn't. But this is the only time we'll have together. When we go back, it'll just be more preparation and training." _

_Tenten shook her head, "But now?" _

_Neji looked down and sighed, "Look Tenten. Feelings and emotion aren't something I'm used to expressing. And with the war looming, I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to." _

_Tenten didn't like hearing Neji talking like that. Like he was going to go to war and die. She was confident that he'd come back in one piece. _

"_Neji, don't talk like that. You know I hate that." _

_Neji let out an annoyed breath. "But we can't ignore this Tenten. We're going to war. And you know that our line of work makes the possibility of our death hanging over our heads often. I'm sorry Tenten I've tried to ignore this. But I just can't." _

_Tenten gave him a surprised look. This wasn't like him at all. "Well Neji, we're kind of on a mission. Can't this wait?" _

_Neji shook his head, "We'll reach the border in the morning. We have tonight to rest. And talk." _

_Tenten wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say exactly. She and Neji had a complicated relationship as of late. They were still friends, but between a few stolen glances and kisses, that dynamic was changing dramatically. She couldn't exactly call them just friends, but she couldn't call them anything more either. Neji had gone silent too. He'd probably gone to go get firewood. Well that was good. She could assemble this tent and get some thinking done. _

_After about ten minutes, there was a warm fire and the tent was set up. Neji and Tenten were crouched by the fire. They hadn't said anything still. Both of them were still lost in thought. Not just the state of their relationship, it was the war, the mission that they were assigned, and the possibilities of their deaths. They were shinobi, but it was still scary. _

"_Are you going to stay quiet Neji?" Tenten finally said. _

_Neji didn't say anything, but he closed his eyes. Finally he opened his mouth, "Are you actually willing to talk this through?"_

_Tenten nodded her head, "Yeah…"_

* * *

_Tenten looked up. She was in the tent, under a light blanket, with no clothes on. Needless to say, she and Neji barely talked. Neji was next to her, and she knew he was still wide awake. Like her, he'd probably realized the magnitude of what they just did. One minute they were sitting, attempting to get a dialogue going, and then the next thing she knew, she was straddling him, her lips glued to his. And somehow they'd ended up inside of the tent. _

_She wanted to get up, but the area in between her legs was feeling a little sore and tender. She bit her lip, thinking about what exactly had just happened. She couldn't say that she was happy about it, but she wasn't unhappy about it either. Did she regret what had just happened? In all honesty, she didn't. _

_She turned her head towards Neji. He was lying there, just looking up as well. Was there a point to even getting a conversation started after that? She didn't know. Well she wouldn't know unless she tried. _

"_Hey Neji?" she whispered. This was getting way too uncomfortably awkward. _

_He shifted his gaze to look at her. To her eternal surprise, he smiled a little bit, "I guess that answers the question as to where our relationship stands." _

_Was that a joke? Was Hyuuga Neji cracking a joke? Yes it was official, he wasn't thinking straight and had probably lost his mind. Tenten pressed her hand against his bare forehead. The curse seal was there, but Tenten didn't care. He didn't have a fever. _

"_Are you feeling all right?" Tenten asked, propping herself up on her elbow. Her hair was down and the blanket fell just a bit. Neji blushed as she did this, loving what he saw. _

_Neji sighed, "I'm feeling perfectly fine. More than fine actually. I won't lie to you, Tenten. I don't regret what just happened. But I am sorry that it had to happen like this." _

_Tenten let out a frustrated huff, "Don't apologize. I lost control too. But I suppose we should have talked this out. But really Neji, I still don't get it. Normally on a mission, all that matters to you is getting that mission done. But now you seem…" _

_Neji closed his eyes, "I fully intend to complete this mission successfully. But I had another mission. Tenten, I may exercise restraint well, but I am still a man. And in the last few months, I think we can both agree that our relationship has exceeded the bounds of friendship." _

_Tenten wanted to roll her eyes at his formal language, but he did have a point. They could never go back to just being friends. Especially not after this. _

"_Well, what do we do now?" Tenten asked, coming closer and pressing up against him a little. _

_Neji's cheeks turned even redder. "I don't really know…" _

_Tenten sighed a little. Getting involved with a Hyuuga was tricky. They kept their members on a tight leash. Dare she say that she was sad at the fact that Neji was probably going to be married off to another girl one day? _

_But Tenten was still a teenager. And a teenager with raging hormones. Even an ice cube like Neji couldn't deny his desires and urges. _

"_No one has to find out you know…this could just stay between us. For now anyway," Tenten offered. _

_Neji turned and gave her a small, sad smile. Had he been anyone else, he would have gladly shouted it to the world. But he couldn't. _

"_Just for now…" he repeated. He propped himself up on his elbow so he could level his eyes with hers. A smile graced his lips as his face inched closer to hers. Tenten blushed a little when their lips touched but she eagerly kissed back. They had kissed quite a few times before this, but something was different about this kiss. She couldn't put her finger on why. But it was different, had more emotion. What that emotion it had been was beyond her. _

_He pulled apart and Tenten smiled. He smiled back. From what Neji had just said…there was definitely hope for their future…_

* * *

That kiss would be the last kiss that he would ever give her. That night was never mentioned; or rather they never had much of a chance to talk about it. As it turned out, the suspicious activities around border was just a group of bandits, interested in stirring up trouble. It barely took ten minutes to take them down.

As for their agreement about keeping their whole relationship hush hush, Tenten had fully committed to keeping it a secret even after he died. Now, however, with a baby in the picture, that was going to be extremely difficult.

But Tenten pushed the thoughts out of her head as she found that she was unable to keep her feelings wrapped up. All of the hurt, anger, frustration, and pure sadness that Tenten had kept locked away started to spill out onto her pillow. With every tear that seemed to fall, the more her heart seemed to break a little bit each more.

Who the hell was she kidding? Neji was gone. She had spent the last month isolating herself for a person who would never come back. Maybe that's what she'd hoped. No not maybe. That is what she had hoped. As foolish as it sounded, that's all she was hoping for. She hoped that all of this was just a bad dream and that Neji would be there on their training grounds the next morning. But that morning would never come. And she knew it.

The scream of hurt, that was long overdue, finally escaped Tenten's throat. She didn't care if everyone else in the building heard. She pounded her fist hard into the pillow as she weeped. Her other hand stroked her abdomen, but the crying didn't stop. She realized that not only was she alone, but the life that was growing inside of her would be fatherless. The additional feelings of fear now dropped on her like a pile of bricks.

Just how was she supposed to do this alone? She knew next to nothing about children and seeing as she had grown up without parents, she had no idea on how to be one. The worst part was that she could think of no one to turn to. Could she tell Hinata? She panicked immediately. Hinata was trustworthy, but could she even be allowed to keep something like this a secret? Was she required to tell her family? No, Tenten couldn't take that chance. There was no telling what the Hyuuga would do if they found about this. But another fact hit her: Within the next few months, her belly would go from small and flat to ginormous and round. She knew people weren't stupid enough to buy that she had just gained a lot of weight. She couldn't stay cooped up in her house either. Could she pretend that the father was someone else? That could work, unless the child was born with a Byakugan, there'd be no denying it then.

Who would the baby look like? Her or Neji? Whose personality would it get? The questions were endless, and Tenten's head already hurt from just how hard she had been crying. Luckily for her, she was exhausted as a result of letting her emotions pour out. She wouldn't let this happen in front of people, but still it felt good. Her eyelids grew heavy and she didn't bother fighting off sleep. Her mind drifted and she tossed and turned no more.

* * *

Naruto was catching his breath. He'd been up since before done as he had been since they'd returned from war, training as hard as he possibly could. He spent the mornings working on his rasengan. It was basic, but he felt like it was important. The results showed and he was steadily improving. Afternoons and evenings were spent on other things. If he was to take charge of this village one day, he had to get a whole lot stronger than he already was.

He usually preferred to do the early morning on his own. But if Hinata decided to join him, he was all right with that too. They had gotten much closer since they had returned.

The trees around him all had dents on them from the rasengan. He smirked a little. He looked up at the sky and noticed that it was late morning. Hinata was coming and he hoped Tenten would too. He'd never trained with Tenten before, and from what he'd seen the day before, he was a little scared. Plus he hadn't really thought about how they would train. Maybe she could help Hinata, but he wasn't so sure how she could help him. Well he'd think of something.

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto turned around to see Hinata walking towards him. She was smiling. She had some cuts and grime, but it was all from training. They usually met up at this time and went to get breakfast, but today they were waiting for Tenten.

"Do you think she'll actually come?" Naruto asked.

Hinata nodded her head, "I know she will."

Naruto nodded his head and leaned against a tree. "I'm glad she agreed, to be honest."

Hinata smiled, "I-I am too. She's been so withdrawn."

"Well, I promise you that I'll get her back to her old self in no time!" he grinned. Hinata smiled. It was that kind of confidence that made her fall in love with him.

No one had really put them up to training with her. They were all connected by one person and that was Neji. His death had brought Naruto and Hinata together, but what about Tenten? Even Naruto knew that there had been something going on between the two. He didn't even want to imagine what she was going through. But they had all been affected by Neji's death, and they might as well go through the healing process together.

"Naruto-kun, here she comes," Hinata said, and Naruto saw her coming towards them. As she approached the both of them, the two got a good look at her. She looked terrible. Her skin was pale, her hair was a bit disorderly, there were dark circles around her eyes, and her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying.

"Yikes Tenten, you look like a wreck," Naruto said tactlessly.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata scoled. "Don't say that!"

Tenten didn't seem to mind. She didn't really care how she looked. And she knew how she looked. All she knew was that Neji was dead, and that she just didn't care. All she really cared about was the life growing within her.

"Are we going to train or what?"

The iciness of her tone of her tone made the two of them flinch a little. It wasn't like Tenten at all to be icy or hostile.

"O-of course," Hinata nodded her head.

Naruto was a bit irritated with the attitude, but he decided to let it slide for now. He wasn't stupid enough to yell at a girl who was clearly going through a lot in her life. He thought of just how to help them all deal with it, and also help Tenten get back to her old self before he lashed out on her. But little did Naruto know…Tenten was going through a lot more than just dealing with her fallen friend's death. He probably couldn't even imagine that there was a fourth life there. Tenten, meanwhile, thought of how to train without harming the baby. Well as long as she didn't overly exert herself or take any hits to her stomach, she should be fine. She bit her lip as she walked behind Naruto and Hinata. Should she tell them? She could ask Hinata to keep it to herself. But she was torn. On one hand, she wanted to tell someone, knowing that she couldn't keep this a secret. On the other hand, however, she didn't know if Naruto and Hinata could keep it a secret. Hell, she was afraid to tell Gai and Lee for that very reason. And right now, she was missing Neji more than ever.

'_Why did you have to go? You left me. You left us. I wish you were here now so you could see how much I need you right now…'_

* * *

_**Please Review **_

_**Okay here's a poll for the next chapter: **_

_**A) Naruto and Hinata find out about the pregnancy and agree to keep quiet about it. **_

_**B) Tenten decides to keep her pregnancy a secret to the last possible minute. **_

_**Yeah if you decide to review this, just tell me which one you want and the one with the most votes gets put it. I like both of those, but can't decide which one to put in. Sooo as you could tell this is a lot different from the original, because I'm trying to have it make sense. To be honest, I don't think Neji and Tenten are just ones to become spontaneously attracted to each other and have a one night stand. I think they should've had some sort of relationship beforehand. I know people are upset that I deleted the original one, but try and give this one a chance. I would appreciate that. Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	3. Between the Three of Them

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 1/7/14: Oh yeah, polls are definitely a good idea. I please myself and you the reader, so we both win. I'll add them at the end of each chapter. Well, if it calls for it anyway. Well here are the results for the last poll: **_

_**Option A: 5**_

_**Option B: 2**_

_**Welllllll, I think A is the winner for this one. I have an idea, but still Option A is the winner, so enjoy! **_

_**Warning: None **_

_**Chapter 3: Between the Three of Them**_

* * *

Naruto was pretty hard to keep up with. Well, at least the two girls were having a workout. But Tenten guessed that Naruto had forgotten that not all of them had the advantage that he did. It was great that he trained hard to improve, but it wasn't his physical skill that needed work. If he wanted to eventually become Hokage, he needed to give his mind a bit of a workout. And on top of that, Tenten was beginning to feel queasy. He couldn't slow down even a little?

She was absolutely, 100% sure that this was not good for the baby. Well, it's not like anyone besides her really knew that. But if she continued at this pace, she was going to have a miscarriage.

"Hey, Naruto," she said, catching her breath. "Can we slow down?"

Naruto frowned, but when he saw that the two girls were worn out, he nodded his head. He had gotten used to training like this, so he didn't feel as tired.

Tenten let out a sigh of relief. While inhaling and exhaling, a sudden wave of nausea hit her. Without another word she darted out of there. She probably wasn't going to make it into a bathroom, but as long as she didn't throw up in front of people, she'd be all right.

Naruto and Hinata, seeing the whole thing, exchanged worried looks before running after her. They weren't too far behind, but Tenten was too distracted to notice. Why the hell would they call it morning sickness if it lasted all day?

Finally Tenten couldn't hold it down anymore she landed next to a bush and immediately began spilling the contents of her stomach. She felt sicker than she did last night. Naruto and Hinata jumped down when they saw Tenten with her head in the bush. It was almost humorous until they heard Tenten vomiting. This was followed by, "Neji, I swear I'll bring you back to life and kill you again for doing this to me…"

Hinata's eyes widened just slightly and Naruto scratched his head. Neither of them could figure out just what was wrong with Tenten, except that she was sick. Maybe she had the stomach flu, but then why would she be fuming about Neji?

Tenten, on the other hand, felt miserable as she stopped vomiting. While she wasn't throwing up anymore her head was aching, her stomach felt empty, and her throat felt dryer than a desert in the middle of July.

When she finally caught her breath, she turned around to head back to the training ground. Her eyes went wide when she saw Naruto and Hinata standing there, questioning looks on their faces. Tenten gulped. This probably didn't look too good.

"T-Tenten?" Hinata was the first one to break the awkward silence.

"Oh, hehe, hi guys," Tenten grinned nervously. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh just long enough to hear you gagging and retching and then you cursing Neji, so the whole time," Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"O-oh well, umm, I've just been a little sick lately…" Tenten muttered. Shit, if they hadn't heard her curse Neji, she might've been able to get away with saying it was just sickness.

"T-then why were y-you cursing nii-san?" Hinata asked. There was both concern and curiosity in her tone.

"…" Tenten couldn't think of an answer right away, so Naruto got slightly impatient.

"Well?"

"I don't know…I just kind of did," Tenten lied.

'_**That was pathetic Ten. Just tell them the truth…' **_

'_Hell no! What if they blab to the Hyuuga? No way!' _

'_**Well they're your friends. And you can't hide this forever, so just come clean about it…' **_

'_But…' _

'_**You shouldn't go through this alone, and you can always swear them to secrecy…' **_

"You just kind of did…?" Naruto didn't buy that at all.

Tenten backpedalled a bit. "Actually I really don't know what's up with me. I don't have time to go to the doctor so…"

Naruto turned to Hinata, "Can you use your Byakugan to see what's wrong with her?"

Hinata nodded her head, "I—I could try. But Tenten, y-you really sh-should consider seeing a doctor."

Tenten laughed nervously, "If you can't find out what's wrong with me, then I'll make it my top priority."

Hinata turned to Naruto and then to Tenten. Both nodded their heads. Tenten began to regret it almost instantly, but it was too late. Hinata had already activated her Byakugan.

Hinata searched Tenten's chakra network to see if anything was amiss. No, her chakra seemed to be flowing just fine. But just when she thought her chakra network was working just fine, she looked down at her abdomen and saw a tiny bit of chakra forming. It was a very tiny amount but nonetheless present. And it was a different color than the rest of her body. Hinata's eyes widened as the answer dawned on her slowly.

She deactivated her Byakugan and stared at Tenten. Tenten looked back at her, blushing. It was more of a blush out of shame.

Naruto was the only one who remained oblivious to the whole thing. "So did you figure it out?"

Hinata blinked a bit before tearing her eyes from Tenten. "Y-yes, I did…"

"Well? Is she sick? Should we take her to the hospital?"

Hinata turned her attention back to Tenten. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she had a nagging feeling that Tenten already knew what was wrong with her.

"T-There's another chakra," she said softly.

Tenten gulped and Naruto looked even more confused, "Another chakra? What does that mean?"

Hinata stayed silent for a moment. She turned to Tenten and said, "Tenten, you lied didn't you? Yo—you do know what's wrong with you, don't you?"

Tenten averted her gaze and looked up at the trees, confirming Hinata's suspicions. Naruto grew even more impatient, as he hated being the last one to know.

"What's wrong with her? She knows what? Can someone please explain this to me?"

Hinata looked at Tenten for approval and she nodded her head slightly.

"Sh-she's going to have a baby…" Hinata whispered.

Naruto looked back and forth at both girls. He heard that wrong. He had to have heard that wrong. The words 'Tenten' and 'baby' didn't seem to go together.

"I'm sorry, what?!" Naruto yelled, his eyes bulging out as he stared at Tenten.

"I—I'm pregnant Naruto," Tenten choked out. There she said it. And she would probably have to get used to saying it as well. In a few months, she'd be showing, and she would have a lot to answer to.

Naruto's jaw dropped so far down that Tenten wasn't sure if the human jaw should extend that much. She was praying that he would say something.

"Pregnant? You mean like, there's going to be a baby? As in, you're going to be a mom?" Naruto asked.

Even if the questions were stupid, Tenten nodded her head. Naruto may have been dense, but it was obvious that all of the questions were out of shock. She bit her lip, as she felt a barrage of questions coming on.

"How did that even happen?" Naruto proceeded to ask.

Both of the girls gave him looks but Tenten added an annoyed groan, "This isn't sex ed Naruto, I don't think I have to explain how this happened. Please tell me you aren't as stupid as you sound right now!"

That didn't faze Naruto at all, "All right, calm down. Who else knows?"

"Well I found out last night, so it's just the three of us," Tenten answered.

"Y—you haven't even told your team?" Hinata asked.

"I haven't talked to them in a while. It's better if they didn't know. I didn't want anyone to know," Tenten confessed, looking down at the dirt.

Then Naruto put on a serious face and looked directly at her, "So it's Neji's huh?"

Hearing his name, Tenten's head snapped up, "N—neji?"

"Even if you weren't cursing him earlier, I would've figured it out," Naruto answered.

"I—I guess so?" Tenten didn't know what else to say.

Now it was Hinata's turn, "When did all of this happen? And did nii-san know?"

Tenten shook her head and bowed her head so that Naruto and Hinata couldn't see the tears she was shedding, "It happened the week before he died. We were on a mission. We were trying to discuss our relationship and one thing led to another."

Hinata could see the tears on Tenten's face and felt her heart breaking for the girl. It had been clear to everyone in their group that there was something going on between the two. But even Hinata couldn't have guessed just how far the relationship had gone.

"I was going to tell people eventually, but I didn't know if it was safe. And honestly I don't know how I'm supposed to keep this a secret," she confided.

Hinata bit down on her lip hard. Had this been anyone else's baby, this would've been many times easier. But this child was a Hyuuga. She'd looked into the clan's laws and was well aware of the consequences. Tenten had every right to be scared.

"Well, are you going to tell Hyuuga?" Naruto questioned.

"No!" both girls shouted, catching Naruto slightly off guard.

"…Okay."

"You aren't going to tell the Hyuuga are you? Please Hinata, no one can know about this! At least not yet!" Tenten begged.

Naruto scratched his head again, "I can understand not telling the Hyuuga, but why can't you tell your team? I mean I doubt they'll say or do anything bad…"

Tenten shook her head, "I just can't. It'll come as too much of a shock to them."

"B—but Tenten," Hinata started, but Tenten shook her head furiously.

"I'll tell them when I'm ready, but not now. I need you guys to promise me that you won't tell them or anyone else for that matter!" she pleaded.

Naruto and Hinata gave each other unsure looks. But when they saw Tenten's scared and apprehensive face, they couldn't deny her.

Naruto sighed, "We'll keep it a secret as long as you want us to."

Hinata gave Tenten a small smile, "We'll help you through this too."

Tenten gave them a grateful smile. She had been worried for nothing. Well not for nothing, but she hadn't given them the credit that they deserved.

A loud growl was heard and Tenten realized that it was her stomach. She had not eaten anything all day and to top it all off, she had just thrown up. Her stomach was completely empty.

"Looks like someone's hungry," Naruto laughed and Tenten blushed a little.

"Come on Naruto-kun, let's go get some lunch," Hinata suggested and Naruto grinned.

"To Ichiraku's!" he declared before getting gently nudged in the ribs by Hinata. "Whaaaaat?"

"Somewhere healthier, she's pregnant," Hinata reminded.

"Actually I don't mind…" Tenten started to say but Hinata shook her head.

"You're carrying a baby, everything you eat gets transferred to it," Hinata explained.

Naruto pouted a little bit but eventually he agreed and Tenten didn't have a problem. Anything sounded good at this point…

* * *

Turns out that Hinata had found a place that served organic food. Everything from the vegetables to the rice were organic and pregnancy friendly.

Naruto, on the other hand, was not happy that he wasn't eating the usual sodium and starch packed ramen. "We're eating rabbit food…"

Hinata shook her head, "It's good for you Naruto-kun. You should eat it more often."

Tenten was enjoying the food, not having eaten all day. "Agreed! I don't know how you're still alive after eating all that junk every day and night. This food's actually really good. You should try it."

Naruto muttered something before picking up his chopsticks. The girls watched as he scooped up some food and put it in his mouth. The look on his face changed from pouty to surprise. The food was actually pretty good.

"Well, let's just finish up, so we can go and train. I need to get stronger if I'm going to be Hokage," Naruto grumbled, as he picked up another bite.

"While that is true, it's not your physical abilities that need improvement. It's your mind that needs training. You can't use jutsu and your fists in every situation," Tenten commented, taking another bite.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto mumbled.

"No really. Sometimes diplomacy is a lot better than fighting," Tenten said.

Naruto nodded his head. Maybe Tenten was right. He needed a lot more than power and strength if he was to be a good leader.

"So, uh, when can we expect Neji Jr.?" Naruto asked, changing the subject.

Hinata looked at Naruto nervously and Tenten nearly spit out her food. It was almost funny; except for the fact Neji's name was said. It kind of hurt to hear. For a time, she had forgotten that the baby was also Neji's.

"N—Naruto-kun!" Hinata scolded.

Naruto realized what he said and backpedalled, "I—uh meant when is the baby coming? God, I'm sorry Tenten…"

Tenten shook her head and smiled sadly, "No don't be. It's just a face. As for the previous question…well I don't know, maybe June or July."

Hinata smiled a little, "Nii-san's birthday is in July."

Tenten nodded, looking down at her belly. Well that was convenient wasn't it?

Naruto smiled a little bit, "Don't worry about it Tenten! You've got me and Hinata! And when that kid comes, we'll help you raise it!"

Tenten smiled a little, it was nice to know that. She'd have some peace for a few months. Well that is until people start to realize that she was pregnant. But the real hell would come when they found out the paternity of the baby. Then the Hyuuga would definitely take action.

"Hey, Hinata?" Tenten asked, finishing up her food.

Hinata looked up at her, "Y—yes?"

Tenten hesitated for a second, trying to think of the proper words to say. "If the Hyuuga were to find out that Neji's the father, what would they do? Do you have any idea?"

Even Naruto looked at her for the answer. She gulped. The answer would not be pleasant, and she didn't want to scare Tenten anymore than she already was.

"Don't worry about it Tenten. I—I'll make sure that they don't find out," Hinata mumbled.

She was avoiding the question. Tenten felt a tight knot in her stomach. If Hinata was intentionally avoiding the question, the answer was definitely unpleasant. But even if it was, she deserved to know.

"Hinata please, for mine and Neji's baby…" she whispered the last part so that no one would overhear.

"Go on Hinata, tell her," Naruto urged.

Hinata bit her lip and looked at Tenten, "W—Well it's..."

"Tenten?" Tenten turned around to see Gai and Lee walking into the shop, looking at her confused. Tenten was equally as confused. Since when did Gai and Lee eat organic food?

"Gai-sensei, Lee? What are you two doing here?"

"Well ya see Tenten; we wanted to try something new. And what better way to replenish our youth than with organic food?" Gai let out a hearty laugh.

Tenten rolled her eyes. He was still the same as ever. Somehow she was relieved about that, although now she had to deal with them all by herself.

"However, the real question is, what are you doing here Tenten? I thought you wished to be alone?" Lee asked, looking both a little confused and hurt by the fact that she had chosen to spend time with Hinata and Naruto rather than him and Gai.

"They asked me to train with them, we got a little hungry, so we came here…" Tenten explained, seeing the hurt on Lee's face.

"Oh I see…" Lee said, sulking a little. Tenten frowned before turning to Naruto and Hinata, who nodded their heads.

"All right Lee, if you want, after you guys finish eating, I can train with you guys."

Lee's face immediately lit up, "S—so does that mean that you are out of your depressed state?"

Tenten faked a smile, "Was that what I was in?"

Lee nodded his head and Tenten shook her head while smiling. His innocence was as cute as it was irritating.

"We have our youthful flower back!" Gai announced before laughing. "After lunch, we shall train harder than we ever have before!"

Tenten sweatdropped before internally panicking. She couldn't afford to train too hard with a baby growing inside of her. And when Gai and Lee said that they were going to train harder, they meant it.

She turned to Naruto for help and luckily he understood, "Yeah about that you guys…Tenten hasn't been feeling too great today, so could you guys ease up on her a little bit?"

Tenten shot him a grateful look. Even if the two were nodding right now, their idea of "easing up on her" would still be hell for her. If only Neji was here, she'd be able to do this. They kept each other sane, but now she was almost sure that she'd lose her mind dealing with them alone.

Still, she'd trained with them before; they couldn't have possibly gotten any more worse than they already were. Could they…?

* * *

_**Please Review **_

_**Poll for the next chapter (Pick only one!) **_

_**A) Tenten gets a little nauseous after training with Gai and Lee for a while, and when they don't stop bugging her about it she comes clean. **_

_**B) Tenten's movements are a lot slower than usual and that she seems more tired than usual. Gai notices, but stays quiet. After overhearing a conversation between Naruto and Hinata, he finds out the truth. **_

_**C) Gai and Lee don't notice the changes at all, and Tenten is able to hide her pregnancy for a little while longer. **_

_**Well, Naruto and Hinata were in the entire chapter, and based on the poll they will be in the next chapter too! Sorry if the polls are annoying, but they help me know what you guys want. By the way, those options were the possibilities I myself came up with. So make sure you leave it if you decide to review! Next update is January 10th! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	4. Curiosity

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 1/10/14: Well I'm updating early because I'm bored haha. Okay so here are the results from last chapter's poll. **_

_**Option A: 1**_

_**Option B: 4**_

_**Option C: 4 **_

_**B and C tied. Soooo the only logical thing to do is to combine them. Somehow I knew that would happen. Remember you guys you voted, so I'm doing this as a result of it. Also after this chapter I have to update on a weekly because classes are starting. This story will be updated every Friday. **_

_**Warning: None (Well, unless you're uncomfortable with pregnancy related topics) **_

_**Chapter 4: Curiosity**_

* * *

Tenten was nervous as she walked with her teammates to their usual training grounds. Should she tell them? If she didn't, then they'd train her until she dropped and that wouldn't be safe for the baby. But if she did tell them, she wasn't sure if they could keep their mouths shut about something this serious. Would they notice if she was taking it a little easy. Well if there was one thing that both of them would notice, it was how hard she was training. That's all they really ever did. But they still had their moments. She kind of hoped that this wouldn't be one of them.

"So my youthful flower!" Gai said, grabbing Tenten and wrapping an arm around her neck softly. God, she hated it when he did that. "How've things been for you?"

"Oh you know, difficult, but life goes on you know," she said softly. While it was true for probably everyone else, her life didn't really go on. She'd spent the last month like a zombie.

"Well it's good to have you back! Things have been difficult for us too. Especially for Lee. Never saw him so alone before," Gai said. Tenten shifted her gaze to Lee, who was walking next to them. He had a happy look on his face, but his eyes were a bit sad. It was so unlike him.

That's when the real guilt set in. She'd been selfish, wallowing in her own misery, instead of helping out the two people who were still here for her. Even though she had been nothing but selfish the past month, they still found joy in being around her. That's just the kind of people they were.

"I'm really sorry you guys. I should've been there more…"

Lee moved closer to her and put one arm around her neck and smiled, "It is all right! We are together now! And that is all that matters, does it not Gai-sensei?"

"Right!" Gai laughed. "To the training grounds!"

* * *

Tenten could not feel the lower half of her body. Gai's version of "going easy" on her was making her do 500 squats, which was then followed by about 50 laps. And that was just warm-up. She never missed Neji more. When he had become a jonin, he'd been away on missions often, so they didn't see him as often as they would've liked. But when he could, he would train with them. Now Tenten wouldn't even have that possibility.

"All right, usually I would pair you off, but now that there's the three of us…" Gai started to say, but trailed off. Lee and Tenten looked down. Tenten could see tears falling from Lee's eyes and Tenten clutched her stomach.

"…But anyway, I want you two to spar as I watch. Let's see what we need to work on!" Gai continued, flashing his famous smile. But both of them knew that it was a fake one. No one commented though.

Lee probably forgot what Naruto had requested because he was in no means going easier on Tenten. He was fast and most of the time; it was hard to find an opening. She wasn't allowed to use her weapons, as this was basic hand to hand combat. Luckily she was good at it; otherwise she would've gotten her butt handed to her by Lee of all people. Even so, Lee's kicks were coming full speed, and Tenten found herself more on the defensive than the offensive. For some reason, he was intent on getting her in the stomach today.

It didn't help that Tenten's reflexes and reactions were slower than normal. Gai noticed, but Lee didn't seem to. Tenten managed to find an opening and kicked Lee in the side. She may have kicked a little too hard as Lee immediately grabbed his side. But that was only temporary, as Lee was able to get back pretty quickly.

The match seemed pretty uneven to Gai, as Lee was much faster than Tenten. Not only that, Tenten was hardly able to leave a scratch and her movements were a little slower than normal.

"All right that's enough!" Gai ordered. Lee stopped a kick that would've gotten Tenten in the stomach. She sighed in relief. There was no way she should've been able to dodge that had her sensei not stopped the match in time.

"Tenten, are you feeling all right?" Gai asked.

Tenten nodded her head, even though she felt exhausted and like she was going to throw up again. She really needed to slow down. There was no way that wearing herself out was good for her.

"Um, sensei I think I went a little too hard on her," Lee stated.

'_No really?' _Tenten thought.

"Uh, I think I just need a little break…" she breathed out.

Gai nodded his head, "Well usually I'd say that that was the case, but the sun's setting."

"Wait, really?" Tenten turned and looked at the setting sun. But that never stopped Gai or Lee from training.

"Yes, I'm ending training early today. I think we've worked hard today, wouldn't ya say Lee?"

Lee nodded his head eagerly, "Yes sensei!"

Tenten, who had regained control of her breathing, smiled, "You two haven't changed a bit."

Gai and Lee chuckled at this, "Well of course we haven't Tenten! You haven't really changed all that much either!"

Tenten's smile started to fade just a little. They didn't know how wrong they were. She had changed a lot more than they would've guessed at the moment. "Yeah, it's almost like nothing's changed at all."

The two others stopped laughing as they realized what Tenten was talking about. Things had changed, and the three of them had pretended and tried so hard to forget what had happened on that battlefield. Well Lee and Tenten did, Gai just wanted to let them cope in their own way. But they had never really discussed it, and that wasn't healthy either.

"I think…we should go out for dinner tomorrow night, my treat!" Gai announced. Tenten and Lee looked up at him.

"Is there a special occasion sensei?" Lee questioned.

Gai shook his head, "No, I just think we have some things to talk about."

Tenten sighed. She knew what he wanted to talk about. None of them had really discussed Neji, and she wasn't really sure that she was ready to just yet. The loss was still way too fresh. But if Lee and Gai really wanted to, then she'd be there for them.

"Dismissed!" Gai yelled and the group dispersed…

* * *

Tenten's legs were starting to get back feeling, and they were sore. She couldn't wait to get home, eat something, and then sleep. She was sure that she was doing everything possible to ensure a miscarriage. And a few more days of it would make a miscarriage a certainty. But she didn't exactly know that, as she had zero experience with pregnancy. And she couldn't see a doctor about it for fear that it would get around.

But as she was walking, she caught something in the corner of her eye. It was a book store. A light bulb flashed as she realized that the store probably had books on pregnancy and babies. But wait, if she went in there and picked up a bunch of books on pregnancy, wouldn't they get suspicious? Eh, she could probably tell them that someone in her apartment building had requested some, like she had when she'd bought her pregnancy test. Yeah, that would work.

She walked into the shop and saw that the store would be closing in 15 minutes. She had to make quick. The cashier was leaning against counter, not caring if someone walked in or not. She was too busy reading a magazine. She looked up and saw Tenten before going back to the magazine after less than a second.

Tenten looked through the aisles of books. They were all in alphabetical order. What was she supposed to look for? That's when the words "Maternity" came into view. Maternity meant motherhood. There had to be a book on pregnancy in there right?

Tenten walked into the aisle and started scanning the shelves for the right book. There were books on all sorts of topics relating to motherhood, not limited to pregnancy. She picked up a book on diet during pregnancy and a book on how to nurse. She continued scanning until a book with the title _Everything You Need to Know about Being Pregnant and Taking Care of Children Ages Birth-5 Years. _

The title was long, but it looked promising. The book was thick, but if it had everything like the title promised, then she was willing to spend the next few months reading it. She could use all of the help that she could get. Sure Hinata and Naruto were there to help her, but it would help to know her stuff. It was her baby after all.

She looked towards the cashier. Time for yet another awkward and uncomfortable purchase. She took deep breaths while walking to the register. She put the books on the counter and the cashier huffed, walking over. She looked at the cover of one of the books and looked at Tenten with an arched eyebrow.

"It's for my neighbor. She's pregnant," Tenten mumbled.

"Yeah, whatever," the cashier mumbled and finished scanning the books. Tenten paid hastily and the cashier handed her the books after she'd bagged them.

Tenten didn't bother saying 'thank you' or 'bye' because chances were that she wouldn't care anyway. Tenten didn't want to attract any attention so she hastened her way to her apartment. The walk took less than five minutes and after greeting a couple of neighbors, she arrived at her apartment. She put the key into the lock and turned. Before the minute had passed she promptly entered the apartment and closed the door. She decided that before she started reading, that she'd shower and get something to eat. She'd be up for a couple hours only, but she wanted to get as much information as she could…

* * *

Gai had just finished eating. He wasn't feeling particularly jovial as he usually did. He was too busy preparing what he'd say at tomorrow's dinner. He knew that he didn't have to prepare a speech, but he knew that he would have to get conversation going. Lee was definitely not willing to talk about it, as he had been training harder than ever just to forget. Tenten, on the other hand, had become completely silent and withdrawn. Gai didn't know what to say to her exactly. He knew how she felt about Neji and how Neji had felt about her. He wasn't as thick as they thought he was.

He was walking by Ichiraku's when he heard Naruto and Hinata talking. He was about to go in and say hi when heard a bit of the conversation.

"…I still think Tenten should tell her teammates," Naruto mumbled, before slurping up a bit of his ramen.

"Shh, Naruto-kun! No one can hear! Remember?" Hinata hissed.

"Well, we can't keep it a secret forever, it'll be out in a few months," Naruto said so softly that Gai had to lean in to hear what he said. Tenten was hiding something from him and Lee?

"I know, but we promised Tenten," Hinata said, equally as quietly.

"Say, what would happen if the Hyuuga found out?" Naruto asked, keeping the hushed voice. Gai was confused to say the least.

"I—I'll tell you later," Hinata whispered, and they relapsed into silence once again.

Gai backed away from the ramen shop and began making his way towards Tenten's apartment. If she was hiding something…then he wanted to know what it was. And if Tenten wasn't willing to tell him, then he'd force the answer out of her. It wasn't like him to do something like that, especially since he wanted his students to have their privacy. But he couldn't help but feel that Tenten's wellbeing and safety was somehow at risk…

* * *

Tenten had gotten through the first two chapters of the large book. She didn't know why she bothered reading the first chapter, which was basically about how to have a baby. She'd already covered that part. The second chapter talked about taking a test, setting up doctor appointments (something she wasn't willing to do just yet), and calculating her due date. Usually women started from the first day of their last cycle, unless they knew the day of conception. Tenten had the night burned into her mind, so if her calculations were right, she was due the last week of June.

She started to doze off and decided that she'd read enough for the night. Maybe if she woke up early enough, she could start the chapter about what to expect in the first two months. Also she needed to start the book about what to eat for the next few months. She felt overwhelmed. There was so much to expect, and the sad part was that most women had a man by her side while going through this. She didn't. But it was even more heartbreaking knowing that he would've stuck by her through this.

'_Neji, if you're up there, please guide me through this. I can't do this alone.' _

The tears began flowing again, and she didn't bother wiping her eyes. She was alone and this was her time to cry.

That was until she heard a loud knock at her door. She was forced to wipe her tears and get up. She hid the books behind a sofa pillow. Who the hell was here right now? She rarely had visitors anyway.

As she opened the door, the form of her sensei appeared. Tenten looked confused. Gai never visited her unless she was sick or it was her birthday. He had an unusually stern, serious look on his face, with his thick eyebrows furrowed.

"G—Gai –sensei?" she choked out. It was obvious to Gai that she had been crying. She looked miserable too. She was in baggy sweats and her hair was down.

"Tenten, can I come in?" Gai asked.

She couldn't refuse her sensei, so she held the door opened the door and stepped aside so that Gai could come in. She closed the door and looked at her sensei.

"Is there a reason why you're here at this hour sensei?" she inquired.

Gai closed his eyes and opened them again to look around the apartment to see if anything was out of order. Everything seemed to be in order so he turned to Tenten once more.

"Tenten, we need to talk. I feel that you aren't telling Lee and me something…"

* * *

_**Please Review **_

_**Poll for the next chapter! (Please just pick one, makes it easier) **_

_**A) Gai asks Tenten what she's hiding, Tenten makes up a lie, and Gai believes it and leaves. **_

_**B) Gai asks Tenten what she's hiding, Tenten makes up a lie, Gai doesn't believe it, but he decides to stays quiet and starts keeping a closer eye on Tenten. **_

_**C) Gai believes Tenten's lie, and is about to leave but sees the books behind the sofa pillow, takes them out, reads the cover of the first one, and puts two and two together. **_

_**Okay yeah this chapter wasn't very long, sorry! Also I'm not used to writing action scenes, so I'm sorry if Tenten and Lee's sparring scene sucked. I'm still learning how to do those properly. And this chapter was kind of sad to write, since I was listening to Katy Perry's "Unconditionally" on loop while typing up this chapter. It brings up all of my NejiTen feels, and seems a little too perfect with this story. Anyway, next update is January 17****th****! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	5. Precious

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 1/17/14: Okay before anyone starts asking me why I do these polls, it's because these options are the ideas that I'm thinking of and liked the most but couldn't decide on. Trust me, I have a million ideas a day and it's really hard to pick, so I want to know what you guys think. Anyway here are the results of last chapter's poll! **_

_**Option A: 1**_

_**Option B: 3**_

_**Option C: 3**_

_**Well Option B & C tied! I knew this would happen, so once again I must combine them! I'm okay with that! Let's see what happens! ;) Enjoy! **_

_**Warning: None **_

_**Chapter 5: Precious**_

* * *

"Not telling you something?" Tenten blinked. "What do you mean?"

Gai sighed and looked around once again, "Exactly what I said. I feel like there's something that you aren't telling Lee and me."

Tenten bit the inside of her cheek. She tried to keep her face as straight as possible, but internally she was having a panic attack. She couldn't afford to tell any more people. Definitely not now. The book had said that a nice support system would be beneficial, but Tenten couldn't afford that luxury.

"I'm not hiding anything sensei," she whispered, looking around everywhere but into Gai's eyes.

Gai sighed and put his hand on her shoulder, "Tenten, I know when you're lying."

Tenten looked down.

'_Come up with a good lie Tenten!' _

"I—I—I've just been really sick…" she answered, a tear pouring down her cheek.

Gai raised a thick eyebrow, "Sick?" He lowered his eyebrow as he got it, "Heart sick?"

"You could say that," she whispered, wiping the tear from her cheek.

Gai nodded his head. He understood and would have believed her had it not been for the feeling in his gut telling him that Tenten was lying to his face.

"So this is about Neji…" Gai said slowly. He didn't want to see her break down or tear up even. Even then, he regretted the words as they left his mouth.

Tenten bit down on her lip hard. So hard that she made herself bleed. Neji was not a subject of conversation with her anymore. His name was becoming taboo and she hated it.

"It's…yeah," Tenten said, not wanting to say much else.

Gai nodded his head, wrapping his arms around his student. Tenten held her breath so she wouldn't start crying again. Crying was not an option with her when it came to being in front of people. Sure Gai was not just anybody and the closest thing to a father that she'd ever have, but still. She needed time, that's all anyone could give her at this point.

Gai, on the other hand, started tearing up silently. It was heartbreaking to see his team going through this. They were all like his children. But more than seeing them go through this pain, it hurt him more that they felt like they had to hide things and lie to him. But even if he was pushy and thick at times, he understood that Tenten probably needed some time before she needed to tell him. But he couldn't help but feel that she was in trouble.

Tenten, not sure if she could hold it in, backed away slowly. A wave of nausea had hit her, and she didn't want her sensei to suspect anything.

"Hey sensei, wait here, I've got to…" she was cut off by the urge to vomit. She ran into the bathroom and started spilling the contents of her stomach into the bowl once again. She tried doing it as quietly, but she failed.

Gai, hearing the gagging and retching sounds, turned towards the bathroom and started walking towards it when something caught his eye. There was something on the couch, or rather hidden behind one of the pillows. Gai didn't like prying on his students' privacy as he thought it was "unyouthful" to do so. But his curiosity was intense.

He walked over to the edge of the sofa to get a better look. There were a couple of books hidden behind the sofa. This was weird to Gai, until he turned red. No, surely Tenten didn't read _THOSE _books. But why else would she hide them then?

Gai grabbed one of the books, his heart was racing as he turned it over to the front. His breathing stopped, eyes widened, and stomach turned as he read the title: _Everything You Need to Know about __Being Pregnant and Taking Care of Children Ages Birth-5 Years._

Gai's jaw dropped just slightly as he read it word by word. It wasn't making sense. Why was Tenten reading a book like this? Why would she need to know about being pregnant or taking care of children? She didn't have any relatives or friends as far as he knew.

The sound of Tenten's vomiting hadn't died down. That's when it all clicked for him. The organic food, the slowness of her movements, the vomiting, and now the books.

Tenten, his student? His youthful flower? There was no way. There just wasn't.

He heard the sound of the toilet flushing and he quickly hid the book back behind the couch pillow. He wasn't going to jump to any conclusions, but he was almost sure that he had figured it out.

The door to the bathroom opened and Gai turned around to smile at the girl, "Are you feeling all right?"

Tenten wiped her mouth with her sleeve and nodded her head, "Yes. Must be some kind of stomach bug."

Gai nodded his head and flashed his signature smile, "Well rest up then! We still have dinner to go to!"

The corner of Tenten's lips twitched slightly when she saw the smile. It was just as hilarious as it was before.

Before she could say anything more, Gai was gone. She let out a sigh of relief and fell back down on the couch. She pulled out the book and decided to read herself to sleep…

* * *

Gai had done his usual 500 laps around Konoha on his hands. He'd gone slower than usual, as there was a lot more on his mind than usual. He'd almost fallen on his face several times, lost in thought. He was almost glad that Lee hadn't shown up just yet, otherwise it would be hell to explain.

But it was all starting to make even more sense than it did the night before. Now he understood why Naruto had asked him to be easy on Tenten. But why would Tenten be so hell bent on keeping this a secret? Especially for him and Lee?

Gai might have had minimal common sense, but he was not a stupid man. He knew things when they were so obviously right in front of him. Even if he had been training with Lee most of the time, he'd kept an eye on other two students. They had always had sort of a thing going on. He saw it, Lee saw it, everyone in the village probably saw it too. So there was no question as to who the father of Tenten's potential child was.

Now that had not yet sunken in, the fact that Tenten could possibly be pregnant. All evidence pointed to that, but Gai wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. And if the 99% of him that was telling him that that was the case was right, he knew what he had to do.

He grinned thinking about another young pupil coming into their midst. Someone he could teach the power of youth to from birth.

"…Umm, Gai-sensei?" Lee's voice snapped Gai out of his musings.

Gai shook his head, "Lee! Come, let us recharge our youth by doing 500 laps around the village!"

Those words were enough to take Lee's attention off of Gai's strange behavior, "YOSH! Come Tenten!"

Gai saw Tenten standing there with an exasperated look on her face. They couldn't be serious. Not this early in the morning.

"Actually Lee, I think Tenten should sit out the laps! She hasn't been feeling too well," Gai explained and Lee nodded his head.

"YES SENSEI!"

"Now, let's do a contest to see who can finish their laps the fastest! Loser has to run an additional 800 laps!" Gai announced.

Before Tenten could protest how ridiculous the two of them sounded, the two bolted, leaving a smoke.

_'**Well, are you going to tell them?' **_

_'No way.' _

_'**They'll figure it out Tenten.' **_

_'Yeah so? I have months before that happens.' _

_'**They might be able to help…' **_

'Listen voice in my head, if I wanted your input I would've asked for it. Now go away, and leave me in peace.'

Tenten huffed. She wasn't sure how normal it was to be actively arguing with your conscience about things like this…

* * *

Tenten was not as exhausted as she usually would have been. Gai had gone much easier on her than usual. That wasn't much of an improvement, but it was nice to be able to feel her legs for once.

"All right! Let's go then!" Gai announced. It was the end of the day, and they had trained all day straight with only a couple of 5 minute breaks. That was a couple more than they had usually gotten.

"Go where?" Tenten panted.

Gai blinked, "Tenten! Surely you didn't forget that the whole team was having dinner tonight, did you?"

Tenten's eyes widened. Shit, she had forgotten, but lying wouldn't hurt, "Oh right! Sorry I tend to let things slip when I train."

Lee gave Tenten a stern look, "Shame on you Tenten, forgetting such important things such as this!"

"That's enough Lee, I'm sure it was just an honest mistake," Gai nodded his head. It took Tenten all she could to not eye her sensei suspiciously. What was he up to? Why was he suddenly being so easy going, well easy going was relative in this case, but nonetheless easy on her?

"Let's go to that one place! That organic food shop! I know you loved that place Lee and Tenten!" Gai smiled.

Lee nodded his head eagerly, while Tenten smiled. They walked off of the training grounds and towards the shop. The entire time, Gai was watching Tenten from the corner of his eye. She seemed normal for now.

The shop wasn't all that busy, only really health conscious people went there anyway. Or pregnant women, but no one needed to know that Tenten was the latter.

They plopped down on their seats, and as expected Gai ended up ordering everything on the menu.

"Come on Tenten, eat up, most of this is for you!" Gai smiled.

Tenten looked down at all of the food, he was kidding right? "And why do I have to eat this all sensei?"

"I know you haven't been feeling well the last few days, so you need to eat up!" Gai explained, and Tenten smiled nervously. Gai was being awfully nice to her today. In fact, it almost felt like special treatment.

"Gai-sensei, what is the purpose of today's dinner anyway?" Lee asked, picking up a bowl and filling it with the contents.

Gai looked down at the food for a second and then back at his students. He drew in a deep breath before saying, "I think it's time that we come clean about our feelings."

"Our feelings?" Lee blinked.

"Yes, I think it's time that we share them with each other. It's the only way that we'll get passed this," Gai explained.

Tenten had been chewing on the same vegetable for the past two minutes because of that. She knew where this was leading to, and she wasn't too sure that she wanted to stick around for the emotional outpour.

"Share which feelings exactly?" Lee asked. Tenten sighed inwardly; Lee could be a little thick sometimes.

Gai sighed, "Since we've come home from the war, we haven't exactly…talked about Neji."

A silence fell over the group. Neji's name was almost taboo now to everyone. It was like Team Kakashi when they had lost Sasuke. It would only bring feelings and memories that they weren't willing to face.

"N—neji?" Lee stuttered.

"Yes Lee, Neji. We haven't talked about him or what happened at all. We all went to the funeral, but I feel as if none of us had really said good bye to him," Gai continued.

"Gai-sensei, I'm not sure if now's the time," Tenten broke in and the two others stared at her.

"Tenten, I'm not going to force you to share anything with us. But I want you two to know that you two are precious to me, and it's hard to see you two going through this, feeling as though it's not okay to share or cry," Gai whispered.

Tenten couldn't say that she wasn't surprised; this was the longest her sensei had gone without using springtime or youth in a sentence. "I—I'm not sure I'm ready to yet sensei."

Lee looked at Tenten, "Tenten, now is our chance to finally let go of our feelings, can you not share some of it with us."

"Lee, let her…" Gai began, but Tenten cut in.

"No Lee not even a little bit. I've spent the last month dealing with this and trying to keep a brave face because shinobi aren't allowed to cry," Tenten voice rose steadily.

Gai nodded his head thoughtfully, "Yes, that's true Tenten. But that usually applies to a mission. We are not on one currently. There is no rule that says we can't deal with our feelings."

Tenten looked at both of them sourly, "I'm perfectly capable of dealing with my feelings on my own thank you. And aren't you the one who told Lee not to shed tears on the battlefield that day?"

Gai nodded his head, "Yes I did. But I said that because it was neither the time nor place."

"Tenten, what is the matter with you?" Lee asked, noticing the radical shift in her mood.

"I just—I just want to—I need some fresh air," Tenten answered, getting out of her seat and making her way towards the exit before she could hear her sensei or Lee protest.

Lee's eyes were wide; Tenten had never walked out on them before, especially when they were trying to have an honest discussion with one another.

"I will go get her sensei," Lee said, but Gai stopped him.

"No Lee, I think we should let her blow off some steam…" Gai said.

"But—sensei," Lee protested.

"Lee," was all Gai said shaking his head.

The two continued to eat in silence, waiting for Tenten to return. Gai kept his eye on the exit. Getting answers out of the girl would be a harder task than he had imagined…

* * *

Tenten walked until she found the big stone monument, the one where the names of all of the fallen shinobi who had been made heroes by their deaths. Neji's name was now among them. Tenten traced his name with her fingertips.

"Neji, they're trying to get me to share my feelings with them. But I can't. I just can't. I'm not ready to say goodbye to you just yet," she whispered.

Then she smiled, "I don't think I'll ever be ready. And I don't think I'll ever accept the fact that you're really gone this time. I still look for you everywhere I go; it just doesn't feel real or even natural without you."

Tenten realized that she was sharing her feelings with a huge stone monument, but she'd rather share it with something that couldn't respond back. At least they wouldn't answer back or advise her on how to deal with it. She just needed to talk, and she was sure that she couldn't get that with a human being.

"I guess I'm still waiting on that morning to come where I find out this is all just a horrible dream and that you're really still here with all of us," she continued, a lone tear sliding down her cheeks. "I know that'll ever happen, but I think I'm done being angry at you about that."

"I really wonder how things would've been if you were still here. Would we even be allowed to be together or…" her hand slipped down to her abdomen, "Or even allowed to keep this baby?"

"I don't really know what's in store for me in the future, but all I know now is that you aren't here to help me out. It'll always hurt to know that. But I promise you one thing Neji; I will make sure that this child grows up with all of the happiness and freedom that seemingly eluded you in life."

"I hope you finally got what you wanted. Maybe one day I can join you…" she finished and slid down against the monument. She had been taking deep breaths to ensure that she wasn't going to break, but no one was there, so she let her emotions flow out without giving a care as to who was there. For all she knew, she would spend the rest of her life like this. She wasn't sure if that was such a bad thing. She couldn't forget Neji, and neither did she want to. Even if Neji hadn't wanted that for her, she didn't care. Neji would always be the one who had her heart, and nothing anyone could say or do would ever change that…

* * *

_**Please Review**_

_**Poll (or my ideas for the next chapter) **_

_**A) Gai sees Naruto and Hinata walking and decides to ask them if something's wrong with Tenten and they deny it. He tells them about the books he found in her apartment, and they come clean, begging him to keep it silent, which Gai agrees to reluctantly. Lee overhears and decides to keep it to himself. **_

_**B) Gai goes to the stone statue and promises Neji that he'll take care of Tenten and their baby. Tenten overhears and so does Lee, who was looking for him training. Tenten lies, but Gai tells her that he found the books and gets her to admit it.**_

_**C) All of the above**_

_**Okay, I can explain. Maybe you don't like the options, but Gai was already close to finding out the truth anyway, and Lee was bound to find out. And they are the last to figure it out until the baby is born I promise. I also meant to get this chapter up last night, but my cousin told me to start watching Gossip Girl and I got hooked onto it after just an episode. I know, that's not a good excuse, but it's the truth. But I promise that won't keep happening. Anyway, next update is January 24****th****! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	6. Coming Clean

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 1/25/14: Well I really have nothing to say this week other than that I am dead tired because I'm on about 3 hours of sleep a night. I decided to take six classes and they're already killing me. I don't know, call me masochistic or suicidal. Anyway here are last week's results! **_

_**Option A: 1**_

_**Option B: 2**_

_**Option C: 3**_

_**Well I have to combine options now! Looks like it'll be a busy chapter for me! Enjoy! **_

_**Warning: None**_

_**Chapter 6: Coming Clean**_

* * *

Tenten opened her eyes and rubbed them gently. The sun was rising in the east, indicating that it was morning. She groaned a little as she felt something smooth and hard behind her. She glanced back and saw that she had fallen asleep at the memorial. She decided to sit for a while, wondering how and why she had ended spending the night here. She was even more surprised that no one had come looking for her. She sighed and stretched. Her muscles were extremely sore.

Well if they hadn't been looking for her, they'd be looking for her soon enough. She decided that going back to her apartment was the best thing to do.

She didn't feel as sick as she usually did in the morning and decided that she was perfectly happy about that one. Luckily for her, her apartment wasn't too far away from where she had been, and it was early enough that no one was yet on the street.

Her head was throbbing from both crying her eyes out as well as sleeping in an uncomfortable position all night. She was about to unlock her door when she saw that something was taped to the door. From the handwriting, she could tell that it was her sensei who had written it.

She turned it over and it read: "You can always talk to us, but only when you're ready. Take a break today, you deserve it."

Tenten sighed and crumpled the piece of paper in one hand and unlocked the door. She was in the mood for a long shower right now. She was still in the clothes from yesterday, and she felt disgusting.

Her stomach started growling and she decided that it was best to get some food first. The baby had to come first now. The food she had to make for herself was kind of bland, but apparently it was good for the life inside of her, so she started to deal with it. Well, that is if it stayed inside of her. And if she had the day off, maybe she could spend it reading that book she had purchased the other night. As long as it allowed her to avoid discussing things with her sensei.

* * *

Gai accidentally overslept, which of course resulted in him giving himself the punishment of 500 additional laps and 1,000 additional push-ups.

How the man was able to have that level of stamina was beyond anyone. But he was barely tired by the time he was done. He was in the mood to train by himself today, as last night's dinner went disastrously. Well, he had tried. Well he had made progress with Lee, who was starting to open up just a little. He had taken the advice that Gai had given him to heart and applied it to his everyday life now. Unfortunately that was not the same as dealing with it.

And then there was Tenten. That was a completely different issue in itself. While Lee was willing to cooperate, he'd accepted the possibility that he'd probably have to fight her tooth and nail. He was giving her all the time that he could, but he still felt that she was going to shut him out until he forced it out of her. She had always been the girl who had kept her feelings in check for both herself and the people around her.

Morning training was done, and though he usually decided to skip lunch and spend all day training, he got very hungry and thirsty from his "punishment".

He wondered if he should stop by Tenten's to see if she was all right, but ultimately he decided against it. He had promised her some time, and he intended to follow through.

He walked for a little bit, trying to decide on where to eat. He scanned the various shops until he spotted a certain couple walking towards Ichiraku's.

Naruto and Hinata were spotted together a lot these days. While they denied that anything was happening between them, only an absolute moron would believe it. But Gai really wasn't interested in bothering them about that. What he had heard the other was still bothering him. He was willing to give Tenten time to think about her feelings about Neji, but not about something as serious as a pregnancy. Even if she thought she could do it on her own, she couldn't. And if Naruto and Hinata knew anything, he'd ask them as well.

"Hey, you two!" Gai yelled in his normal, jovial tone. The two turned around and smiled at him.

"H—Hello Gai-sensei," Hinata whispered as she smiled.

"Mind if I join you two?" Gai asked, flashing his "nice guy" smile.

The two looked at him nervously. Sitting with the man was always a little uncomfortable, because he'd always give a lecture on the power of youth.

"Well, unless of course you two were out on a date."

Hinata turned beet red and Naruto shook his head, "No, no we're just hanging out."

"Then, let's get some ramen? Let's catch up, my treat!" he offered and the two nodded their heads. But when Hinata looked at him, she could tell that there was something behind the jovial appearance. He was hiding something.

"Before we eat…" she began and the two men looked at her. "Is there anything that you would like to share?"

Gai's smile fell slightly. "Well yes there was."

Naruto gave him a confused look, "And that would be what exactly?"

"Not out here," Gai said, motioning towards the ramen shop. The other two didn't know what to think, so they just walked into the shop and took their seats. Gai's smile had all but vanished now, but he didn't say anything until the ramen was placed in front of them.

Gai ate a single bite before he turned to them and said, "Have you talked to Tenten lately?"

Gai didn't care much for the answer as he did the reactions. Hinata stiffened and Naruto stopped mid bite, confirming his suspicions.

"I—we haven't really seen Tenten," Naruto lied and Hinata nodded her head in agreement. Gai sighed and pushed his ramen aside.

"I know that's not true," Gai sighed once again.

Naruto looked at Hinata, who in return gave him a nervous look. "We haven't really talked to her in a couple of days."

Gai backpedaled slightly, "Is there something wrong with her? She's been acting very strange."

Hinata bit her lip, "She's just been sad because of…"

Gai shook his head, "It's not sadness. She's been getting sick as well as keeping things from Lee and me."

"Gai-sensei, w—we don't know what's wrong," Hinata pressed. But the more they tried, the less he seemed to believe them.

"I heard you two talking last night," Gai confessed. Naruto and Hinata exchanged panicked looks.

"W—what d—did you hear?" Hinata stuttered.

"That Tenten needed to tell her team sooner or later. After I heard that I went to her apartment and found some books," Gai answered.

"What kind of books?" Naruto asked.

"Pregnancy and childcare books. Do you have any idea why?" Gai asked.

Hinata answered, "Maybe sh—she's giving them to a neighbor or something."

Gai sighed, "Naruto, Hinata. Tenten is my student. She's very precious to me and all I want is her safety and well-being. But I can't look out for her if I don't know what's going on with her. Please, if you know something, you should tell me now."

Naruto looked at Hinata. The look in his eyes asking for permission to tell Gai the truth. Hinata hesitated for a second, but ultimately decided that if something had to be said, might as well be said right now. She nodded her head slowly.

"You have to keep it a secret. Please, a lot is at stake here," Naruto pleaded and Gai nodded his head.

"Is she pregnant Naruto?" Gai asked point blank. Naruto and Hinata nodded their heads. Gai remembered to take deep breaths as his fists clenched tightly. "I see."

"Gai-sensei, please don't be upset, she really didn't mean for this to happen," Hinata explained.

Gai shook his head, "Her becoming pregnant isn't what I'm upset about. I'm genuinely happy for her, but the fact that she felt like she had to hide it from me is what upsets me the most."

"Well, she didn't exactly know how to tell you that she's pregnant with Neji's b—ow!" Naruto was cut off by Hinata elbowing him hard in the ribs.

Gai smiled amusingly, "Well, even the dullest of people could have figured that out. Don't worry; I know that Neji's the father."

Hinata sighed, "Is it that obvious?"

Gai nodded his head, "I'm afraid so." Gai paused for a second before asking, "Who else knows?"

"Just us," Naruto answered, slurping down the broth.

"Just us," Gai repeated. "All right, I'll keep quiet about it until Tenten is ready to tell me herself. She can't hide this forever."

The two nodded their heads. And continued to eat on in silence. Little did they know that someone else was listening in on the conversation. Lee, who had been training alone had been looking for Gai, had found him sitting with Naruto and Hinata in the ramen shop. He was about to burst in, when he heard the words "Tenten","pregnant", "Neji" and "father" being thrown around. Lee might have acted thick on occasion, but even he knew what was being said.

He decided not to break in on the conversation, afraid that they would retract everything that they had just said. But what saddened him more was that Gai was planning to keep it a secret from him as well until Tenten came clean about it. Well if that was going to be the case, then Lee had a plan…

* * *

Tenten was bored already. She had read up until the end of the second trimester. Apparently, she needed to limit her physical activity, but it was unhealthy also to lounge around and do nothing. Walks and fresh air were always a good idea, and lifting heavy things was strictly off limits. Hot showers and baths were especially bad for pregnant women and Tenten grimaced at the fact. She loved hot showers, now for the next 8 months she'd have to take lukewarm ones. It didn't help that winter was right around the corner. She wasn't too happy about having to give up her daily routine and pleasures, but for the baby she was willing to do it. After all, it was the only family she had.

Tenten closed the book and heard a light tap on the door. She was a little relieved to have some company, although she preferred the solitude of her apartment. She opened the door and was surprised to see who was standing there.

"Lee?"

Lee was smiling, looking almost relieved that Tenten had answered the door. Tenten smiled back, "Lee, come in!"

Lee shook his head, "Thank you but no thank you! I have come to take you on a walk!"

Tenten blinked rapidly. Lee was asking her to go on a walk with her? Since when did Lee go on walks? Unless they were going to be taking a walk on their hands, this was completely out of character for him. "A walk?"

"Yes a walk! We have not talked in a while, and I think a walk is much better alternative to being cooped up in here, do you not think so?"

Tenten thought back to the literature and conceded. Maybe a walk would be sensible, as long as Lee didn't go off the deep end with another one of his creative work out ideas as he put it.

"Just a walk right? I'm really not in the mood for being carried on your shoulders."

"Of course not Tenten, you need your exercise too!" he said while striking a nice guy pose. Tenten smiled and shook her head. Even after all these years she wasn't used to his antics. She was a little grateful for that.

* * *

The walk was pleasant enough, even Lee was blabbing on and on about this new technique that he'd learned. Of course it was taijutsu, but Tenten lost interest after a while. There was only so much to talk about when it came to that particular topic. But Lee could go on for hours and hours.

"Lee, where exactly are we going?" Tenten asked, cutting him off and shutting him up.

"Oh, you will see," Lee said, taking on a more serious tone.

Tenten's stomach began to turn in a series of uncomfortable ways. Somehow, when Lee got even a little serious about something, it didn't end well.

"Lee, I'm not kidding, where are you taking me? And I better be coming back in one piece and alive, or I will haunt you until the day that you die," Tenten threatened.

"Do not worry Tenten, this will be for all of our benefits," Lee reassured. Tenten gulped. Lee's definition of beneficial differed greatly from hers.

Tenten didn't ask anything more because the area was starting to look familiar. It took a while, but she realized where she was at because she was here just this morning. Why on earth was he taking her to the memorial? That's the last place she wanted to be. She didn't want to be anywhere his memories still lingered. At least not at the present time.

"Lee, the memorial? Why?" Tenten asked.

"There is something that I need you to hear. After that, if you have anything to say, feel free to tell me," Lee replied.

It sounded way too suspicious, and her stomach was doing so many flips that she could mistake it for morning sickness.

They drew closer and as they did, they could see that Gai was standing there. Tenten's jaw locked, knowing that there was only one reason that he would ever visit such a somber place.

"Let us hide behind this tree," Lee grabbed her wrist and yanked her behind him. He put a finger up to his lips, indicating to her to keep quiet.

Tenten kept her breathing in check and leaned in to hear what Gai was saying.

Gai on the other hand looked at the spot where Neji's name had been carved in. He couldn't help but feel both pride and guilt as he looked at it.

"So Neji, I never thought I'd be standing here, talking to you like this. To be honest, I never wanted to be the one who realized just how much it would burn to see one of my precious students go like you did. I'm proud of what you did. Everyone is proud of what you did. But your going has left such a hole in our lives. Our team will never be the same ever again. We can all try to pretend like the feelings aren't there, but that won't help. I've been trying so hard to get it out of them, while trying to deal with it myself."

Lee and Tenten felt the pangs of guilt as Gai went on. Tenten more so, knowing that she couldn't afford to share her feelings with anyone. And also the fact that she had more than just her feelings to hide.

"Then there's Tenten. I always knew that there was something going on between you two. I just never thought it went as far as it did. I should've known really, it was happening all under my nose. I guess I always just expected you to come forward eventually.

Tenten's entire body froze when she heard the next things that left her sensei's mouth, "You're going to be a father Neji. I'd usually yell at you for giving up your youth for a child at your age, but I don't think that's the right thing to do. The right thing to do is leave you with a promise. I promise I'll take care of her and this baby. I'll make sure it never feels like its missing something. I'll make sure he or she does you proud."

Tenten could feel Lee's eyes boring into her. Crap, which meant he led her here because he wanted her to tell him herself. And he needed Gai to say what was in his heart. Tenten sucked in a huge breath, not knowing if she should beat the living shit out of him or give him props for setting her up or just hug him for still being within her reach.

"Lee, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she whispered.

Lee shook his head, "Do not worry about it. I understand why you did it. Any girl in your situation would have done the same. But right now, I think that there is another person that you need to talk to."

Tenten looked over at Gai who looked like he was about to leave. Lee was right; she needed to come clean with the man who had treated her as nothing less than her daughter.

"Gai-sensei!" she yelled as she ran towards him. Lee followed her.

Gai turned around to see that his two students were running towards him. Well Tenten was running towards him, Lee was just following her.

"Tenten?" his eyes went wide. How much of his speech had she heard?

"Gai-sensei! I heard everything," well that answered his question.

"Tenten, I—," he began.

"Look I don't care how you found out or who told you anymore. I should've been the one to tell you about all this. I should've known not to keep this a secret from either of you," Tenten cut in.

Gai's eyes widened, "Tenten…"

"Please let me finish sensei. I wanted to believe that I could do this on my own. And my fear of the Hyuuga won over my desire to share this with you guys. Truth is, I'm scared. I don't know if I can do this alone. If it's not too much to ask, I'd really like you to be involved with my baby's life."

Gai and Lee flashed their signature smiles at this, "Tenten, you don't have to ask. We'll be there for you and this baby. We won't mention anything to anyone and especially not the Hyuuga. Not unless you want us to."

Tenten would have cried if she wasn't so good at concealing her tears, "Thank you guys." She wrapped her arms around both of them. Right now she needed a family, and even though she was getting a small one biologically, the two men that were still there were the closest thing she had to a family. No scratch that, they WERE her family. She smiled as they stayed like that for quite some time.

* * *

_**Please Review**_

_**Poll for next chapter! **_

_**A) I skip ahead about 4-5 months and see how Tenten is doing. People get a bit suspicious and her friends are constantly coming up with new explanations and some word gets back to the Hyuuga, who begin to get suspicious because Tenten was Neji's teammate. **_

_**B) The four who know are driven crazy by Tenten, whose pregnancy hormones make her unbearable. Naruto and Hinata are talking about it and Naruto complains a little, but one of the Hyuuga hear him. **_

_**C) There is relative peace until the end of the chapter, when Tenten's water breaks. **_

_**D) Minus the first part of C, all of the above**_

_**Additional Question (DO NOT ANSWER IF YOU READ THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE STORY) I want to see what people will say! **_

_**Do you think that it will be: **_

_**A) A boy**_

_**B) A girl**_

_**I AM SOOOO SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE WHEN I SAID I WOULD! I got really stressed out and tired from all of the stuff that's been going on this week. And that manga chapter….GAHHHHHHH! PM me if you want to rant with me! Okay I'm sorry if Lee's scheming was a little OOC for him, but while he lacks common sense, he can be very smart. Sorry if that ending was cheesy, but I've been watching so much CW drama that it's getting to me. I solemnly swear that I will get the next chapter up by January 31****st****! Remember update every Friday! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	7. The Rumor Mill Turns

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 1/31/14: Is January already over? How the hell did that happen so fast? Okay so fair warning for anyone who read the original story: I'm still switching back and forth between one baby and two. I don't know; I have a thing for twins. But I'll poll that at the end of the chapter. But if you all vote one baby, the gender will remain the same as it did in the original story. That much is already set in stone. And well the rest of the story is going to be astronomically different, but as I promised it will be much better. Anyway, time for a 4 month time skip! Here are the poll results! **_

_**Option A: 4.5**_

_**Option B: 0**_

_**Option C: 1.5**_

_**Option D: 2**_

_**Well, that was surprising. For once the "All of the above" option didn't win. Well I guess it can't always! But everything is going according to plan! Thanks for telling me which idea of mine wasn't sane or not insane enough lol! Okay now onto the chapter! **_

_**Warning: None **_

_**Chapter 7: The Rumor Mill Turns**_

* * *

Tenten looked out her window. The winter's icicles were finally melting, and the little green leaves were poking out through the branches. It was finally spring. But Tenten couldn't go outside and enjoy the warmer weather. At around 3 months, her belly had developed a slight curve, and now a month and a half later, her belly had grown even larger. She couldn't even cover it with the baggy clothing Gai had gotten her. She groaned a little. Spring was finally here, but her baby wasn't due until summer. That was still a whole season away. The days were getting lonely, and while it was nice to talk to her baby privately, it was still not enough. She hadn't left her apartment in over a week and she quickly realized that the life of a shut-in was clearly not meant for her. But she always caught herself as she went down that train of thought. It wasn't all about her anymore.

One good thing that came with the second trimester of pregnancy was that the morning sickness was all but gone now. It was nice to actually be able to keep down her food, even though certain smells made her sick to her stomach. Especially barbecue, which was something she normally loved.

And now that the baby was growing larger, it felt like an alien was moving around inside of her. It made her smile though, and she found herself rubbing her belly often. Then she'd look at the ceiling, wondering if spirits really existed. That way, she'd know if Neji was right there, watching over her and their baby. She was pretty sure that he was.

She heard a quiet tap at the door and she sighed in relief. Finally some company. She hoped whoever it was; they'd take her away from this prison. Luckily enough, it was Gai and Lee who were standing on her door step, with the bag of groceries. She honestly missed doing her own groceries. But Gai and Lee would absolutely not let her leave the apartment under any circumstances.

"Well, we got everything you'll need!" Gai grinned walking into the kitchen and setting down the three grocery bags. Yeah, she went through bags of food every week thanks to her baby.

"You know what I'm really craving?" Tenten grinned. Lee and Gai dashed over to her side. It was nice that they were practically at her beck and call.

"Anything you'd like!" Gai promised.

Tenten grinned, "I'd like to go for a little walk, if you don't mind?"

Lee's expression went from eager to please to disapproving in a second. "We can allow anything but that."

Gai nodded his head and put a hand on Tenten's shoulders, "He's right Tenten. We can't allow for your secret to get out."

Tenten pouted, "But I can't stay cooped up in here either! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I have to sit on my ass all day. In fact, lack of exercise is actually bad for the baby. Besides I need some fresh air."

Lee and Gai exchanged skeptical looks, "We don't know…"

Tenten huffed, "Look I have to think about my baby. So whether or not you two let me, I'm out!"

"But what if someone…" Lee started protesting.

"…someone sees me? It's called baggy clothing Lee. I'm not that noticeable yet," Tenten finished.

Gai and Lee exchanged looks. Tenten was more than just a little noticeable. Either she had not looked at her belly in the mirror recently or she was in total denial.

"Tenten, I don't think baggy clothing is going to cover that," Gai said, unsurely.

"Well then I'll tell them I just put on a little weight. They'll believe me," Tenten reassured them.

Gai and Lee once again exchanged looks. If Tenten said that a little exercise was going to benefit the baby, then they had to listen to her. If the baby came out with something wrong with it, they'd never be able to face Neji.

Tenten walked out of the bathroom 5 minutes later with some very baggy clothing. It was very un-Tenten like. She wore her hair down as well. She didn't quite look like herself. Her stomach was well concealed though. It was the only part of her body that was concealed. Her chest had grown considerably and her fingers and toes were slightly swollen. There was a visible glow on her face. Pregnancy almost suited her.

"All right, can we please go now?" Tenten asked.

* * *

Gai and Lee stood next to Tenten side by side. They walked so close by her that they were practically sandwiching her.

"Guys, remember that talk we had a couple of years ago about personal space?" Tenten asked, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"We are simply trying to protect your secret from the outside world!" Lee answered, saying it a little too loudly.

The people who were in close proximity stopped talking and turned to look at them. Some raised their eyebrows, some rolled their eyes, some of them gasped when they saw a rather bloated looking Tenten sandwiched between them.

"Is that Tenten?" someone whispered.

"It looks like it. She looks so different! I swear she's put on a few pounds!" a woman gasped.

Tenten's cheeks flushed. People really had some nerve. If Gai and Lee weren't squishing her, there'd be blood all over the place. She hated being the center of gossip.

"Do you think she's…" a woman mumbled in the corner.

"What? Tenten? No way! She's not that kind of girl," a man said.

"You don't have to be "that kind of girl" to have that happen to you," the woman scowled.

"But she's Tenten! I mean she's pretty, but seriously, do you think she'd be so careless? And even if she was, with whom?" the man backtracked.

"Well there are a few possibilities there…" the woman now looked at Tenten who turned away. Great, maybe her sensei had been right. Well if this was how it was right now, how would it be in a few months?

Lee squeezed Tenten's hand, "Do not worry Tenten, they will find something new to talk about in a few days."

Tenten gave him a small smile. That was the plus side to all gossip, once a new scandal hit, everyone forgot the old one.

Then a terrifying thought crossed her mind. What if this got back to the Hyuuga? Shit, shit, shit! What was she supposed to do? Deny it? That wouldn't work after 2 months. And then what if they asked who the father was? Maybe she could lie about the paternity, but then what if it was born with a Byakugan? To sum up her thoughts, she was screwed.

"Tenten, I have a temporary plan," Gai whispered in her ear.

"What is it? And why only temporary?" Tenten asked.

Gai didn't say anything until they were well away from people. They were in an area surrounded by trees and Gai turned to make sure that no one was around.

Gai then turned to Lee who nodded his head. This left Tenten confused.

"Is there a particular reason why you brought me into the forest to discuss your plan?" Tenten crossed her arms.

Gai nodded his head, "Well I know what you were thinking the entire time we were walking down the street. You aren't as hard to crack as you come off Tenten."

Tenten felt a little offended by that, "Did you come here to insult the fact that I can't play coy?"

Gai laughed, "No, I mean I know you very well my dear. But I'm worried about you. I heard what those people were saying; it won't take long for word to get out."

"So what are we supposed to do sensei? I can't exactly hide…" Tenten pointed to her growing belly, "…this forever!"

"That's why I said temporary plan Tenten. You can lie about the paternity for now," Gai said, slowly.

"You mean…lie about the father's identity?" Tenten gulped, her hand resting on her belly.

Gai nodded his head, "Until the baby is born anyway. If we're lucky, it'll be born without the Byakugan, we can keep it a secret, but if it is born with a Byakugan, well we'll figure that out together."

Tenten thought for a moment. She'd already considered that alternative. But she'd shaken it off on the grounds that this child would most likely have a Byakugan.

"Okay, the problem is, who would actually volunteer to be the father? I mean the only men that know are you, Lee, and Naruto," Tenten said. But the answer hit her as the words left her mouth. It had to be one of them. And Naruto was definitely not an option as he was now with Hinata. That left Gai and Lee.

"From the look on your face, I see you've figured it out. I think Lee might be best suited for this," Gai answered.

Tenten turned to Lee, who smiled at her. She could only give him a small, sad smile. While she was thankful, she couldn't ask that of Lee or anyone for that matter.

"Lee I couldn't ask you to…" she whispered, but Lee cut her off.

"It is all right Tenten. I am more than willing to do this for you and Neji," Lee answered.

She wanted to go up and hug him. She was thankful to have him in her life, honestly. Although he was not Neji and she could never actually be in love with him like she was Neji, she was happy that he was there.

"Lee it's a big responsibility, I can't ask this of you. I won't let you go through this," she whispered.

"You're not going to go through this alone. And you have me, Lee, Naruto, and Hinata. Lee is only going to put on a show until the baby is born," Gai reassured.

"But the people, they'll ridicule him. I can't bring him down with me," she continued.

Lee put his hand on her shoulder, "Listen Tenten, I do not care what the world thinks of me. I want to help you. This might be the last thing I do for Neji. Please Tenten, let me do this, not only for the two of you, but for your baby as well."

Tenten didn't want to agree, but she had to think about what was right for her baby. When the time came, she or he would need a father. While Lee was a bit crazy, he would make a great father figure.

"Besides, I want to be there for this baby. It will need an uncle after it is born," he grinned. Tenten laughed. She then went and did something no one expected her to do. She hugged him. Lee's eyes widened and Gai smiled.

"T—Tenten?" Lee asked.

"Thank you Lee, I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you," she sniffled. She was trying her best not to cry.

Lee smiled gently, "There is one way. Allow us to be a part of his or her life. I promise you we will love it with all our hearts."

Tenten nodded her head and bit back the tears. Gai came behind them and enclosed his arms around them…

* * *

Lee had never felt so sure in his life to do something for a friend. Not even for Sakura or Naruto. The day was ending and they had returned Tenten to her apartment hours ago. They had to take a different way to avoid the gossip. After that it was right back to rigorous training, which meant five times harder than usual. Even then, he felt great.

But he was of course famished and parched. He didn't know where to eat tonight, he considered just going home before he heard someone call him.

"Hey Lee! Want to join us?" it was Sakura. She smiled at him and saw that she was in front of the Barbecue place with everyone else. Well everyone excluding Tenten.

It had been a while since the entire group had been together, and Lee could not resist the offer. He really missed them.

"Yes, I would like that very much," he yelled, quickly making his way over to the group. Everyone greeted him warmly and they all went in.

They all ordered the usual, even if Choji wound up eating most of it. Everyone seemed to just want to catch up as it had been entirely too long since they had actually had a decent conversation. After the war, everyone had been preoccupied with recovery and training that they had forgotten about their personal relationships. Even Sasuke had shown up, even though he wasn't a huge fan of barbecued pork.

"It's been forever!" Naruto chuckled as he finished his last bite. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Sasuke responded with a, "Hn."

"Well, it's nice to finally have everyone together," Hinata commented in her trademark, shy way.

"Well not everyone's here. Has anyone seen Tenten?" Ino asked, looking around the table to make sure she didn't accidentally miss her. Lee, Naruto, and Hinata exchanged secret looks, knowing that no one had any clue what was going on.

"She has not been feeling well," Lee answered.

Everyone turned their attention to Lee who had suddenly gone from his usual, loud self to completely quiet. Naturally this made everyone curious. But it was Shikamaru who spoke up.

"I've been…hearing things on the street. They're all pertaining to Tenten."

Hinata's palms became sweaty and Naruto stayed absolutely calm. Lee continued to stay quiet. That didn't really help them.

"What'd you hear Shika?" Ino asked.

"Well, they think Tenten's severely sick with something. She looks all bloated and she's…glowing," Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the last part.

Lee spoke up this time, "Well, she has been so sick that she was required to stay in bed for a while now. She was feeling a little stronger today, so we took her for a walk. She'll be better soon."

"Would you like Ino and me to check it out?" Sakura inquired, but Lee shook his head rapidly.

"That will not be necessary, but thank you Sakura-chan," Lee answered.

Sakura and Ino didn't question him, but they were suspicious. Normally Lee was the first to jump the gun and ask them for assistance, but right now he was turning it down.

"Look Lee, if something's wrong with Tenten, we need to know. If her illness is really that severe, then you should have the girls take a look at them," Shikamaru pressed.

"She's ill with a virus," Hinata cut in. Everyone turned to look at her. "It lasts 6 months to a year. It's not deadly, but it severely weakens the body for a time. She'll be fine."

Naruto and Lee shot her surprised looks. Surprisingly enough, she was a very good liar. She'd said it all with such a straight face.

Sakura and Ino were skeptical, however.

"I've never heard of such a virus Hinata. Are you sure?" Sakura asked.

"I checked her body myself. She didn't want any of you to know, for fear that you would all get panicked," she lied smoothly. She didn't even stutter. Naruto smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Is this true, Lee?" Shikamaru asked, turning to him.

Lee nodded his head, "I am afraid so. She came out today because she did not enjoy being confined to her home. We warned her not to, but she insisted."

Sakura and Ino were still suspicious but they let it go. The three of them seemed to be telling the truth, but in the pit of their stomach, they knew that something was wrong…

* * *

Everyone had gone their separate ways after the dinner. Naruto, Lee, and Hinata were walking together. Naruto couldn't help but gush over her cleverness.

"I can't believe you thought of that right on the spot! You're a genius!" Naruto gushed.

Hinata blushed, "W—well i—it was nothing…"

Lee smiled at her, "No, no! You deserve all of the praise! You have helped Tenten keep this a secret for more time."

"I—I just don't want her to suffer. The villagers are such shameless gossips," Hinata answered.

"Well, once the kid gets here it's going to be kind of hard to keep it a secret. Especially if it gets Neji's eyes. I mean what's it supposed to do when it goes out? Wear contacts? That'll get annoying after a while," Naruto said.

"At any rate, we must not decide anything so hastily or without Tenten! We must go slowly if we are to ensure her and her baby's safety," Lee reminded.

The other two nodded their heads, partially in agreement and partially because they were tired. It had been a long and hard day.

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi sighed as he looked at the clock. It was very late, but that's not what bothered him. At this very hour, just 5 short months ago, his nephew had given up his life right in front of him. It was an image that was permanently burned into his memory. He'd lost the closest thing that he'd had to a son. He found it very difficult to sleep at night now.

He'd also made it a point to try and get closer to his daughters as he now realized just how precious they and life were. The thought of anything happening to them was not one he lived with so easily. But he had almost lost his elder child twice. One of those times had cost him his nephew.

He sighed sadly. There was nothing of his brother's line left. Nothing at all. When Neji died, he took Hizashi's line with him. It was a pity, there was so much potential.

Hearing a knock at his door only seemed to irritate him more. He always requested to be alone at this hour, and he did not wish to be disturbed.

"What is it?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Hiashi-sama, there is something we must tell you!" the voice of the man was slightly trembling.

"Come in then! And make it quick!" he demanded.

The man walked in and Hiashi didn't have much of an annoyed look on his face. It was more sad and tired.

"Hiashi-sama, there have been rumors on the street of a girl…" he began.

Hiashi sighed, "So why is this of any concern to me or for you for that matter?"

"Because the girl is Neji-san's teammate. There have been rumors going about that she is not well and she has a somewhat bloated appearance. But a few others think that it may not be an illness," he continued.

That caught Hiashi's attention almost immediately, although he still didn't understand why this concerned him, "May not be an illness?"

"Yes, according to a few women, she has the signs of a woman in her second trimester of pregnancy," he finally said.

Hiashi's turned his body fully now. "Pregnancy? Are you telling me this because you believe that my nephew has fathered this child?"

"It's all conjecture Hiashi-sama. But if the girl is indeed pregnant and the child does turn up to be Neji-san's offspring, you do realize the consequences, do you not?" the branch member asked.

Hiashi did not answer the question, but instead said, "Listen, unless there is concrete evidence that Neji has sired a child with someone outside of the clan, the girl's business is to remain her own. And there is no hard evidence that there is even a child. So until and unless you bring me solid evidence, there is nothing that can be done. Now please, leave me in peace."

Hiashi turned back around and heard the door slide shut. Solitude was an excellent time and place to think. The real reason he sent the clan member away was not because he did not care. It was quite the opposite. If the girl was indeed carrying a child and it turned out to be Neji's child, then his brother's line had not completely died out. There was hope. But if the clan members ever found out, the consequences would be disastrous.

But until he knew for sure, he was powerless. And he would not intrude on the girl. He wanted to see how the next few months would play out…

* * *

_**Please Review **_

_**Polls (yes there are two, one for next week, the other for the story in general!) Please only pick one, makes this a lot more easy on me. **_

_**1****st**** Poll! **_

_**A) The secret becomes impossible to keep, so Lee must step in. The Hyuuga are not convinced and they demand that a paternity test be done after the baby is born, but Tenten refuses. Naruto steps in and backs her up, saying that they can't force her. Hinata sees something odd about the fetus, but can't pinpoint why it's so odd. **_

_**B) The chapter is calm, and it basically deals with Tenten and how she deals with the whole issue. Hinata acts as her doctor, but she finds something weird about the fetus when she does the checkup. **_

_**C) All of the above (The last parts of A & B are already the same) **_

_**2****nd**** Poll! **_

_**One baby or two? **_

_**A) Twins (If you pick this, boy-boy, girl-girl, or boy-girl?) **_

_**B) One baby (Gender is already decided for this option) **_

_**Yup! I realize that the second poll might dramatically change the story, but this is a re-edit. And I did want to make it better; also I have mostly new readers to this story, so I'm having a lot of fun here! And it's actually making sense to me! I'm happy with the direction of this story, I hope you are too! Well, I'm feeling much better! And there was no chapter this week as you all know. Kishimoto's father passed away so he took the week off. So sad! But anyway, next update is February 7****th****! Remember I update every Friday! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Til next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	8. Shock and Surprise

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 2/7/14: Hmm, didn't get as many reviews as I would have liked but it hardly matters. Well 26 of you love it enough to favorite it and 33 of you like it enough to follow it, so I'm going out on a limb here to assume that you guys like it so far. Okay! So let's see which idea you guys thought was the best! Thank you for putting up with my insanity. **_

_**Option A: 2**_

_**Option B: 1**_

_**Option C: 3**_

_**Geeez you guys are greedy! You just want everything thrown in there. Ah well, gives me more to write about! As for the second poll, well you'll just have to wait and see what happens because I'm not revealing the results for that one. ;D **_

_**Warning: If sonograms, mentions of paternity tests, or douche bag Hyuuga clan members make you uncomfortable, well don't continue beyond this point. **_

_**Chapter 8: Shock and Surprise**_

* * *

Well after the whole incident with the village gossiping about her, Tenten thought it would be wise to stay out of the public eye. When she went outside, she made sure that it was late at night and that she stayed near her apartment building. It was a stupid idea to even consider going outside during the day time.

If she had gotten the math right, she was about 26 weeks along. She looked down at her stomach and sighed. The baby was only supposed to be the size of an average cabbage. Yet her belly looked like it was carrying something much larger. She'd looked at pictures of women at 26 weeks, and their belly didn't protrude nearly as much as hers did. And she could have sworn that she had been gaining a pound every week since she had gotten pregnant.

Maybe her body was just weird like that? She didn't know she didn't have experience with any part of it. She was learning as she went. It had been a while since she had gotten Hinata to take a look. Yes, Hinata was her acting doctor. The girl didn't have much knowledge in this particular field to begin with, but she'd done enough research to know what to look for on a week by week basis. There was also the concern of proper intake of vitamins and supplements. Well Gai and Lee had that taken care of. She was pretty much taken care of, well for now anyway.

She hadn't picked up the book in weeks. She'd already gotten through the last trimester of pregnancy in the book, and she dreaded reading the part on child birth. There were plenty of women in her apartment building who had given birth, and said that it was the worst pain that they'd ever felt. Someone was kind enough to tell her that it felt like her insides were slowly ripping apart for 19 hours straight. That was a lovely thought. And that woman was in her early 30s. Tenten had only just turned 19 a couple of weeks before. How the hell was she supposed to handle this? She had no idea.

She sighed and was about to go into the kitchen to get herself some food when she felt a slight movement in belly. It was a kick to be more specific. It always made her smile. For the past few weeks, the baby had just seemed to kick and move around. Besides getting the occasional bruise, Tenten enjoyed it very much. It was proof that her baby was really in there, and in a matter of months would be right there with her.

"Can you get here soon? I really want to meet you," she whispered to her belly as she stroked it.

The baby kicked at the sound of its mother's voice. It had been doing that a lot too. Tenten started humming and the baby seemed to stop kicking as much. She guessed that the baby probably found it soothing. She was able to lean back and close her eyes. The baby was taking everything out of her lately.

"Three more months, just three more months," she whispered. She wondered if she could actually make it.

But the amount of weight she had gained concerned her. Maybe she should talk to Hinata about it? Yes, that would be the best thing to do in this situation.

She'd been out of commission for months and it was getting really boring. She wondered if her sensei had anything to do with that. And knowing the Hokage, she wouldn't just say yes to it without wanting to know the reason. Well whatever the reason was, she was out of the public eye. Even her neighbors were unaware of her state. She also wondered if the gossip about her had died down. Lee and Gai told her next to nothing and Naruto and Hinata didn't care enough to lend an ear to the public's need to gossip and backbite.

Especially not Naruto. He had started taking Tenten's advice to heart. He still trained pretty hard, but he did spend some time learning public policy and Hinata was teaching him the art of tact. Yes, when it came to Naruto, tact was indeed an art. Well it was a start anyway, though he'd need much more to be a decent leader one day.

Tenten was snapped out of her thoughts with a knock at the door. Ugh, maybe she should just leave her door unlocked during the day time. It wasn't like someone was going to break into the house. But it was becoming a huge hassle to walk her tired, pregnant body to the door, which was all the way across the room.

She sighed and got up. She could only see the tips of her toes now, just barely though. She walked, or rather waddled, to the front door. She smiled when she saw the four of them standing there.

It was a rarity when all four of them were at her place together, so it was really nice.

"Come on in," she stepped out of the way so that everyone could walk in.

Once the door closed, the conversation began.

* * *

Obviously, the fact that Tenten was now a shut in and had now gained more weight than normal was still the center of all village gossip. Everyone knew her and the Konoha 11 pretty well. At least one of them had been the subject of talk at all times. One could say that it was pathetic for a bunch of villagers to be talking about a group of teenagers, but ever since the war had ended and many of them had cheated death, they were the most exciting things in the longest time.

Tenten had never really been talked about as much as the others. That was probably because not a lot was known about her. Her past was mysterious, she didn't have a last name, and she never really did anything that would make her the center of attention. But now, she was all anyone could talk about.

The Hyuuga weren't oblivious to the chatter at all. Ever since the clan member had told Hiashi about what he'd heard, he hadn't had a moment's peace. Well, he hadn't really had much peace since the war's ending, but now it was even more so.

The possibility of his brother's line being continued had been hanging over his head. With Neji's death, he was sure that Hizashi's line had ended. It was a fact that had kept him up often, but now the exact opposite bothered him. Had this been another family, in a different time and place, the tears in eyes would've been those of joy. But they were more like tears of fear. Yes, it was one of the rare times in his life where he felt genuinely scared. If the rumors were true and the rest of the clan got wind of it, there'd be no telling what would happen next. Well he was well aware, but it wasn't a very pleasant sentiment to dwell on.

Did he truly want to find out? Part of him did, part of him did not. Both for obvious reasons, but he didn't know what to do exactly. It's not like he could do anything about it exactly. He'd need the Elders of his family to do that and the less they knew, the better it would be for everyone. Particularly that girl on his nephew's team.

He heard a soft tap at his door. He sighed, "Come in."

"Hiashi, I need a word with you. As you probably know, there have been rumors running rampant all over the village. The rumors about the girl on Neji's team," Hiashi turned around to see that it was one of the family elders.

Hiashi nodded his head, "What of them? They could be baseless for all we know."

The man shook his head, "They might not be after all."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And why is that?"

"She has been confined to her apartment for many weeks now. Only a hand full of people have been seen to go in and out of it. They are always the same people. We brushed it off at first, thinking it was just vicious gossip. Of course this was before we knew that the girl was a comrade of Neji's. We cannot afford to take any risks here, I hope you understand that," the man said, gravely.

Hiashi frowned, "It is true that the girl was indeed on Neji's team, but that does not mean that she is carrying his child. There is no evidence that the girl is even pregnant."

He shook his head, "I'm afraid there is."

Hiashi's eyebrows shot up almost immediately, "What are you talking about?"

"The girl goes on nightly walks. She was spotted near her building by one of the branch members," he answered.

Hiashi's brows furrowed as he realized what was being said, "You've been spying on her?"

He nodded his head, "You know it had to be done. We cannot take any risks when it comes to the Byakugan and you know that. The girl is indeed pregnant."

Hiashi shook his head, "You have no right or authority to do so. She is not of this clan, and if she is pregnant, there is a very slim chance that the child is Neji's, comrade or not."

The elder just looked at him with a stoic expression, "How can you be so sure? This wouldn't be the first time that such a thing has happened."

Hiashi eyed the man carefully, "Because my nephew was never one to be swayed by hormones or emotions. He was very in control of himself and his actions, and always refrained from doing things that would shame the clan's name."

The elder's mouth twitched as he let out a dry laugh, "Even the most self-controlled man can be swayed, Hiashi. Neji was human after all."

"You talk as if you are sure that this child is his for sure," Hiashi scowled.

"That's right, we aren't sure. That's why the elders have already dispatched a few branch members," the elder informed.

Hiashi immediately stood up, "Dispatched them for what? And without my permission?"

"All we ask is that she does a paternity test," the elder asked simply.

Hiashi's jaw dropped slightly. They couldn't be serious; did they not realize what that meant for the girl? "Be reasonable about this. That would be a tremendous insult to the girl."

The elder sighed, "The girl is of no interest, but the child is. If the child is indeed someone else's, than we will leave her in peace."

Hiashi shook his head, "She might not agree."

The elder again shook his head, "She will have to agree. It is clear that she doesn't want anyone to know of her pregnancy. Why else would a woman take a stroll in the middle of the night in her condition? If she does not agree, we will have to take this to the Hokage."

Hiashi frowned deeply, "You're going to blackmail her?"

The elder answered gravely, "We do not wish her any harm, but she must understand the ways of this clan. If she is to give birth to a Hyuuga child, then we must know about it."

"I'm sure that this child is not Neji's. She will not agree, no woman would ever agree to such a test under such circumstances. A paternity test should only be taken if the mother herself is unsure of the paternity," Hiashi warned.

"She will have to agree Hiashi. I will not argue about this any further," his voice dripping with disdain.

"Then leave," he ordered. The elder was gone before he'd even finished the sentence…

* * *

"All right Tenten just lay back on the couch," Hinata said, gently. Tenten smiled at her. It was nice to see that Hinata was gradually starting to lose her stutter. Her voice was still on the soft side, but that was all right.

Tenten made herself comfortable. Everyone was gathered around the couch, waiting eagerly to hear what Hinata had to say. It made Tenten happy, but at the same time it was sad. The one person she really needed there would never come, not in this life.

She never showed her sadness over it. Gai and Lee had been trying to no avail to get her to talk about her feelings since the dinner, but she always brushed them off. They didn't need to see what she was going through internally.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and immediately began inspecting the content of womb. Tenten tried to keep her breathing in check as she attempted to wait patiently to hear what Hinata had to say. After a while Tenten peered over at Hinata.

At first Hinata didn't see anything abnormal, and just as she was about to deactivate her Byakugan to tell Tenten that her pregnancy was going smoothly, she saw something. At first she couldn't tell what it was, but when the realization dawned on her, her eyes widened and she gasped.

Tenten snapped her head up and everyone else looked confused, "Hinata, is everything all right with my baby?"

Hinata didn't answer and continued to stare at her belly in shock. It was making Tenten nervous.

"Hinata, is there something wrong with my baby?"

Naruto put a hand on Hinata's shoulder, "Hey, is everything all right?"

Hinata deactivated her Byakugan and looked at Tenten with an astonished look on her face, "Tenten, everything's fine with the pregnancy, but—," she was cut off by the loud pounding at the door.

"Tenten-san! We are of the Hyuuga clan, please, we need a word!" a deep voice called from the other side of the door.

Hinata's eyes widened as did Naruto's. The clan knew that the two of them were together, but they were unaware of how much time they spent here. Hinata was also aware of the fact that her family had caught a whiff of the rumors.

"Naruto-kun, we must hide. They're here about the child I just know it," she grabbed Naruto's arm.

"Wait, what? Do they know?" Tenten's voice was oozing with panic.

"They have heard the rumors, they are probably here to verify them," Hinata answered.

Naruto shook his head, "Then Hinata I think you should hide. I don't want you getting in trouble. I'll stay out here and take care of things."

"But—," she began to protest.

Naruto shook his head and grinned, "Hey don't worry about it. Future Hokage right here, I can handle it, don't worry."

Hinata had no choice but to relent because the pounding only for louder and louder. She decided to hide in the extra closet space next to the bathroom. It wasn't very noticeable, but big enough for her to crouch in.

Gai was the one to answer the door. He didn't want Tenten exerting herself. He opened the door to find a few number of Hyuuga. They looked mildly irritated from being kept outside for so long.

"Yes gentlemen?" Gai asked.

"We would like to see Tenten-san," they answered simply. Gai turned around to look at Tenten, asking for permission. She bit her lip before nodding. Gai stepped aside.

"She's on the couch."

The men walked in without so much as a word. The annoyance on their face turned to that of slight distaste when they saw the sight. It was more than obvious that the girl was pregnant. Even so, they couldn't help but feel slight disgust. A girl as young as she was should not be pregnant, especially if she was unwed.

"So the rumors are true I take it," one of them mumbled.

"W—what?" she said in a high voice.

"Surely you've heard the rumors that have been circulating about you. It looks as if they are true," the one next to him said. Tenten did not answer.

The third man, who was standing in the center looked up at Lee, "And who are you?"

Lee's frown was more than evident, "I am the father."

Naruto could have burst out laughing at the statement had it not been for the fact that this situation was more than serious. Gai stood there, with an unusually calm and serious face.

The three men, however, looked shocked. But it was the third man in the center who answered, "I see. And you are absolutely sure?" The question was directed more at Tenten than Lee.

"Of course she is sure. She has only ever been with one person," Lee growled.

"So you're her boyfriend then?" the second man arched her eyebrow.

Lee's cheeks turned bright red. His instincts told him to come up with an excuse quickly, "N—no it was a night when we both had too much sake."

The excuse was ridiculous to everyone who knew Lee. But these were strangers who had absolutely no knowledge of what Lee really did when he was under the influence. Tenten cringed mentally at the very thought. The Hyuuga men looked repulsed. But they had a job to do, no matter how convinced they were.

"Then you will not object to us asking you to do a paternity test?" the first man asked.

Tenten froze the minute. A paternity test, as in a test to determine who the father of the child was? Were they really being serious right now? Who the hell did they think she was?

"Yes, I do object. I will not take such a test when I am well aware who the father of my child is," she answered.

The men shook their heads, "We are under strict orders from the Hyuuga elders. If you do not agree to one, then we will take this matter to Hokage-sama."

Tenten's eyes widened. Well, shit they were blackmailing her. But she couldn't just take the test! She couldn't risk anything happening to her child. What the hell was she supposed to do?

Lee scowled and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you saying that the child is not mine? Are you calling Tenten an immoral woman? She has not been with any man other than me. Least of all Neji. He always kept to his limits."

Tenten sighed interally. When she remembered that night in the tent, she knew just how Neji could lose it.

Naruto stepped in, "You guys can't blackmail or force her to take any sort of test. If she's saying that this is Lee's kid, then it is. Besides, you're blackmailing her and threatening her with defamation, which if I may remind you, will cost you a pretty penny according to the law."

Everyone in the room gaped at Naruto. Wow, he really had been studying and doing his work. That was so unlike him to actually sit and read.

The third man shook his head, "We are not threatening her with any sort of defamation whatsoever. But if she does not comply, then we will take it up with Tsunade-sama. We will however, grant her 3 days to think about it. If she does not agree by the end of the third day, you can rest assure that we will do as we say we will."

Naruto frowned, "You can't force her to do anything. It's her kid."

The second man looked irritated, "Look kid, if we had a choice, we'd leave because we believe her. But the elders aren't convinced. They want an answer and they won't be off your case unless you comply."

Tenten slunk back into the sofa. She was backed into a corner. She had absolutely no choice. "Very well, I will give you my answer in three days."

The men nodded their heads and left without another word.

Tenten punched the pillow as hard as she could. Damn those Hyuuga! Damn them to hell! Why was this happening to her? Naruto had a sour look on his face, and Hinata who had come out of hiding, had a scared expression on her face.

"Don't worry Tenten, I'm not going to let them do this to you. I'll make sure of that. You have my word," Naruto vowed.

Tenten almost smiled, but then remembered that the men were gone, and that Hinata had seen something in her womb before they were interrupted. She needed to forget about this for a while and focus on the life inside of her. She'd think about what to do in terms of the paternity test later.

"Hinata, what did you see inside of me? Is my baby all right?" Tenten asked.

Hinata nodded her head, "Everything is fine, but…"

"But?"

"I—I—I think that there's more than one in there…"

* * *

_**Please Review**_

_**Poll for next time (Pick only one! If you pick two, I'll take the first one as your answer) **_

_**A) Hiashi comes over to Tenten's apartment with a deal: If she allows him to be a part of the babies' lives than he will switch the results of the paternity test and keep it a secret from the rest of the family as he wants his brother's line to continue. **_

_**B) Tenten agrees to the paternity test after her three day limit knowing that she has no choice. Hiashi, intuitively figuring out the paternity, switches the results of the test because he does not want to lose the last things he has left of his nephew and brother. He does this all without Tenten's knowledge. **_

_**Yeah those are the options for this week. Okay writing is my solace now because I'm in a really bad place right now. Just depression and stuff, and fan fiction is the only thing that keeps my mind off. Also this week's chapter was epic but also very annoying at the same time. I've been having tumblr shouting matches with people who are focused more on the shipping wars than the actual gravity of the situation. PM me if you'd like to rant about it. But yeah, next update is on Valentine's day! Remember I update every Friday! **_

_**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: My fan fiction writing brain has kicked into over drive and I thought of four new story ideas. I'm doing a NaruHina, ShikaTema, NejiTen, and though I'm not a huge fan of it, a possible SasuSaku. I'm tossing around ideas, but if you have any ideas or would like to see one written for any of those pairings, just PM me! Your idea will be taken into consideration! **_

_**Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Till next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	9. The Test

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. If I did, Neji would still be alive and this story would've had a happier ending. **_

_**A/N 2/14/14: Happy Valentine's Day! Who else is forever alone and spending their day scorning loving couples? Yeah, no I don't do that, although I absolutely loathe Valentine's Day. I mean why do we need a day to show someone we love them? That should be every day! Well okay, looks like there's more than one baby now. Uh oh! What's the gender(s)? Hmmm…Well here are the poll results from last week. **_

_**Option A: 5**_

_**Option B: 6**_

_**Well they came close and the tie broke when I was already half way through typing, so in order for it to make some sense, well I sort of combined the options. But I took out one part of A, since B technically won. Okay enjoy! **_

_**Warning: None **_

_**Chapter 9: The Test**_

* * *

"I—I—I think that there's more than one in there…"

The room went completely silent. You could hear a speck of dust drop. Everyone's breathing had stopped too. Everyone's eyes were the size of saucers. Tenten's jaw hung slightly.

"M—More th—than o—one?" Tenten repeated. "O—of w—what?"

Hinata bit her lip. "B—baby. Th—there's more than one."

'_**Oh my god, breathe Tenten!' **_

'_I—more than one? H—how is th—that possible?' _

"What do you mean there's more than one baby?" was the first question Tenten asked when the initial shock went away. She was still in shock, but now she could at least say something. More than one baby? Well that certainly explained why there she had put on more weight than she was supposed to. But this new development made her even more scared. She was already worried about having to raise one baby, now there was one more? Well, at least she hoped there was one more at most. Hinata hadn't specified the exact number of babies.

"Y—you're pregnant with twins, at least I think so," Hinata answered.

"You THINK so?!"

Gai who had just come out of shock, raised a hand, "That's enough Tenten, let her speak."

He turned to Hinata and nodded his head. She went on, "I only saw two. I don't think there's any more than that."

"Check one more time," Tenten said. Everyone turned to look at her. Lee blinked and he looked down at Tenten's belly.

"Tenten, she said that she does not think…" Lee mumbled but Tenten held up a hand to silence him.

"I won't be assured until she's 100% positive," Tenten stayed firm. Gai sighed.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked inside of Tenten's womb more thoroughly. She looked at the two babies and checked around to see if there were anymore…

She deactivated her Byakugan and smiled at Tenten and smiled, "There's only two in there."

Tenten didn't know whether she should be relieved or scream in panic. On one had it was great that she didn't have any more children to worry about, on the other hand there were two babies in there. She now had to raise two children on her own. Well, she would have the support of the people around her, but she'd be a single mother nonetheless.

So she buried her face in the pillow and grumbled, "You just had to go and die didn't you? You just had to talk about your feelings that night and end up getting into my pants didn't you? You just had to knock me up with twins, right? Seriously, why did you leave me alone?"

The last part came out in a strangled sob. But everyone heard it. They'd heard all of it.

"Well, that explains how she got pregnant," Naruto muttered, only to be slapped in the arm by Hinata. He gave her a pained expression, and she gave him the "now's not the time" look.

"Tenten…" Lee muttered rubbing her back. She lifted her face from the pillow. She hadn't been crying, but she certainly looked like she was about to. Keeping all these emotions in couldn't have been good for her or her babies. But now was probably not a good time to discuss feelings.

"Nii-san would've been so happy," Hinata whispered, and everyone turned to give her pained expressions. They didn't protest what she had just said or bother telling her not to say that in front of Tenten. She hadn't said anything wrong. Well Gai wasn't sure about how happy Neji would've been to become a father at 18, but he definitely would've owned up to it. He would have made an excellent father in the end.

"Yeah, would've. But now we'll never find out, because the fool went and got himself killed," she hit the pillow before looking at Naruto and Hinata's guilty faces.

'_**Oh good going Tenten. They already feel like crap about what happened.' **_

Tenten wanted to kick herself, but instead she said, "Oh crap, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Naruto shook his head, "No, it's all right."

Tenten shook her head, "No, it's not all right."

Everyone turned and gave her perplexed looks. They waited for her to say something.

"Nothing's all right, and it never will be," she mumbled, trying her hardest not to crumble in front of everyone.

Hinata was about to go and comfort her, when they heard another knock at the door.

"They're back?" Naruto's voice had a hint of irritation in it. He didn't really like being around the Hyuuga. They were too strict, stuffy, and old-fashioned. Not to mention they watched him like hawks since he started seeing Hinata.

Everyone figured that they were back for something. Maybe they forgot to add something. Hinata went over to the door. She was not going to let Tenten strain herself, even if it was a 7 feet walk from the door to the couch.

She opened the door and froze when she saw who was standing before her. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open just slightly. What was he doing here?

"O—otousan?" she gasped. Naruto turned to the door to see Hyuuga Hiashi standing at the door. His eyes widened as he looked down at Tenten. She and the other two were frozen. Why was he here?

Hiashi seemed equally as surprised to see that his daughter had been the one to answer the door. What was she doing here? But the answer dawned on him pretty quickly. Well that definitely confirmed his suspicions.

"So it's true then…" he whispered, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

Hinata bit her bottom lip. What was he doing here? He didn't even know her! That means he was here because…oh no.

"O—otousan this isn't…" she tried to lie, but Hiashi held his hand out.

"Where is she?" he asked loudly. Tenten shuddered a bit at the sound. Well since he was standing there, it was time for Lee to once again put on the father act.

"Let him in Hinata," Tenten said calmly.

Hinata looked at her nervously, but stepped aside so that her father could walk in. The first thing he laid his eyes on was her ever expanding belly. Well that confirmed that rumor, but what about…?

"Well, my daughter being here has proved my suspicions. Although I want to hear it from you," Hiashi didn't waste any time with introductions.

"I am the father!" Lee jumped in. Tenten inwardly groaned. There was no way Hiashi was going to believe that now. Lee had a really annoying habit of jumping the gun.

Hiashi responded by lifting an eyebrow. Oh yeah, he definitely didn't believe it. Hell, even someone as thick as Naruto didn't believe it. He had his hands covering his eyes and was mumbling something.

"I see," he responded, before turning his attention back to Tenten. "Is this true, or is this child really my nephew's?"

The room went silent once again and everyone was shifting their gazes from one to another. What would Tenten say? Tenten panicked inwardly, but stayed collected outwardly. Well if she was going to lie, she might as well do it now.

"Yes, it's true. He's the father," she looked towards the ground as she said it. She cursed herself, she sounded shaky and unsure. That wouldn't send out a questionable message at all. Wonderful, she probably looked like a whore right now.

"Look me in the eye and tell me the truth, girl!" his voice was loud and it almost made Tenten jump.

When she looked up at him, she didn't see anger or annoyance in his face or eyes. She saw desperation and urgency. He needed to know. But Tenten just couldn't afford to spill it.

"I—I—I w—well…" she stammered. She had always been a terrible liar. Her stammering was only proof that Lee wasn't the father.

"I see. The answer is clear to me now," he muttered, turning around and heading towards the door.

Everyone immediately panicked and Hinata stood in his way. "Otousan, please…"

Hiashi was not in the mood to neither argue nor talk to his daughter, "Hinata, please step aside this instant."

"Otousan please, you can't tell anyone in the clan about this," she pleaded.

Hiashi frowned. Till now, Hinata never begged or asked anything of him. But he was neither in the frame of mind nor in the mood to listen, "Hinata, move aside."

Gai stepped forward, "Listen Hyuuga-sama, I understand that this is huge and unforgivable, but if you hear us out…"

"I'm not in the mood to hear anything out. The fact of the matter is that you all hid this from me, especially you Hinata. Maybe the rest of them, but I didn't expect this from you. And then Neji, I cannot believe he'd be so careless!" he growled, his anger getting the best of him.

Tenten stood up, "It wasn't just Neji's fault! And don't blame Hinata, I begged her to keep it a secret! And now I'm begging you, please don't tell anyone! Please! For your nephew's sake!"

Hiashi scowled. After all that had transpired, did she honestly expect him to give into her demands? "I'm leaving. Hinata, you're coming with me."

Hinata froze, "B—but otousan!"

"You can see Naruto tomorrow, but right now I need to have a little word with you!" his tone of voice getting angrier and angrier by the syllable.

Naruto was about to step forward but Hinata put her hand out to stop him, "Don't worry, otousan wouldn't hurt me."

"But…" he protested, coming closer.

Gai frowned, "You're Neji's uncle, so I respect you. But I'm prepared to fight you if it's for my student. I don't think you understand the gravity…"

Hiashi glared and cut him off, "I think I understand the gravity of the situation much better than all of you. Because if you understood just how serious this is, you would have told me the truth!"

Tenten was feeling dizzy, even so she spoke up, "I couldn't say anything! I know what Neji went through as a member of the branch family; I couldn't let my babies go through the same thing.

Hiashi's ears perked up when he heard the plural, "B—babies?"

Tenten bit her lip, "You didn't hear me wrong."

Hiashi shook his head, "You really don't understand the consequences of what you and Neji have done. The fate of the branch family is nothing compared to what's going to happen to your children."

Tenten's eyes widened and she turned to Hinata for answers. Hinata gave her a saddened look, meaning she knew the consequences. And she had failed to tell her, "Hinata, y—you knew?"

Hinata averted her gaze, "I—I'm sorry."

Tenten couldn't find it in her heart to be mad at Hinata, but even then, she wished she had said something. So she tried again, "Hiashi-sama, please I'm begging you."

Hiashi's frown deepened as he grabbed Hinata's arm. "We're leaving Hinata."

Tenten, Gai, Lee, and Naruto were about to protest but before they could so much as say anything, Hiashi and Hinata were gone.

* * *

It had been three days. Tenten had barely gotten a moment's rest. Today was the day that the Hyuuga would be expecting her answer. The choices they had given her made it almost impossible for her to run. She couldn't live a peaceful life with her children unless they were proven not to be Neji's. So unless she had really been drunk with Lee one night, her life would be turned into a living hell in 2-5 days.

"Goddamn you Hyuuga! Leaving me alone to clean up the mess that we created together! What am I supposed to do? Get me out of this mess please! For the sake of our children!" she screamed at the ceiling.

It was really weird to say. Whenever she used the words "our" to describe her and Neji the words "children" usually didn't follow. It never followed. She'd never even thought about having kids, let alone have them with Neji of all people. Nor did ever expect to be a single mother at the age of 19.

She needed to sleep, but it was already morning, and the Hyuuga would be here any moment. What would her answer be? If she said yes, she could live the next few days in peace before the results of the paternity test revealed everything. If she said no, then the Hokage would have to get involved and then she'd still have to take the test. And even though Tsunade was the Hokage, she couldn't go against the most powerful clan in the village. The consequences would prove disastrous and they had just recovered from one war, they couldn't risk another.

And she refused to be the reason for that. So the answer was pretty clear to her.

She was snapped out of her thoughts the sound of banging on her door. This was it. The moment of truth and also the beginning of the end of her freedom. Or rather, whatever the Hyuuga had planned for her.

She opened the door and sure enough, there stood the Hyuuga. There were more this time, and they were members of the main house. Their bare foreheads proved that.

"Tenten-san, you of course are well aware of the reason for our visit, are you not?" one spoke.

Tenten nodded her head, "You wish to hear my answer, correct?"

They all nodded their heads, "Yes, we do. What's your answer?"

Tenten inhaled deeply, "I agree to take the paternity test."

There was a buzz of approval but the one man spoke up, "Wise decision. Will you accompany us to the hospital?"

Well, at least they were polite. That was probably because they were under the assumption that Lee was probably the father. That would change in a matter of days. She nodded her head and they were off.

Luckily it was still too early for anyone to really be up. Like Tenten, the Hyuuga didn't want to risk giving away the possibility of the father. No one so much as looked at her the entire way to the hospital. It was both a relief and extremely uncomfortable. To think that these were the family of the life that was growing inside of her. She hoped that they didn't grow up to be like them. That is if they even got the chance to live life.

The hospital was dimly lit as usual. She was a little embarrassed to be walking in a procession. If her team or Naruto knew of her decision, she'd be in a lot of trouble. But what choice did she have? Her secret was about to crumble, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

"Wait here," one of the men said to Tenten. They were in front of a door. She was guessing that this was probably where she was getting the testing done. She would hate this place for the rest of her life.

The door opened and Tenten's jaw dropped when she saw who it was.

"The lab is ready for the paternity test that you requested. Now where is the person that you requested it for," Shizune asked politely.

Wonderful, of all people it had to be Shizune. The one person closer to Tsunade than anyone else. The Hyuuga moved out of the way as Tenten came forward. Shizune gasped.

"Tenten?"

Tenten looked away in shame. The Hyuuga handed Shizune a tiny vial.

"This is Hyuuga Neji's blood sample. Now do what needs to be done. Tenten-san, follow her," the Hyuuga said and she complied. Shizune gave her an unsure look but nonetheless led her inside.

The minute the door closed her breathing stopped almost. She looked at the counter, there was already another vial there. She was guessing that was Lee's blood.

"Did you ask Lee before using a blood sample from him?" Tenten asked flatly.

Shizune shook her head, "There's no law prohibiting it around here. We can use anyone's sample if we wanted to."

"Well it should be illegal. That's not right," she said weakly.

Shizune sighed. She felt sorry for the girl. It was clear that Tenten was extremely hesitant and reluctant to take the test. But it was also clear that her hands were tied.

Shizune sighed, "I know it's none of my business, but even I know that this baby can't be Lee's. As shocked as I am about this pregnancy of yours, the father's identity is no secret."

Tenten clenched her fists and nodded her head, "They don't know that. And I'd prefer it if they didn't find out. But what can I do?"

Shizune wanted to hug her, but it seemed inappropriate. She didn't really know her too well and she couldn't rig the results either. "I wish there was something I could do, but my hands are tied as well."

Tenten sighed as Shizune inserted a needle into her arm. She didn't even feel a pinch. She had gone completely gone numb.

She watched as Shizune put each of the samples into test tubes and label each of them. She put them into a test tube stand and called a medic to come and take them to the DNA testing lab. Tenten was so numb that she hadn't even noticed that there was another medic standing there. She hoped that he wouldn't tell them anything. But that's all she could do.

The medic walked out and Shizune put a hand on Tenten's shoulder.

"Tenten, I'm so sorry that this happened to you…"

In response she whisperd, "Don't be. This was my own doing…"

* * *

Hiashi had been unable to sleep the past few nights. But when he woke up that morning, he realized what was more important. While he valued his clan and their decisions, this was more of a personal decision. As furious as he was with his nephew, he loved both him and his twin brother dearly. If he breathed a word of his knowledge to the Elders, his brother's line would be completely eradicated. And Tenten would too. He couldn't allow an innocent to fall victim. And those children were the only things he had left of Neji and Hizashi.

He was taking a huge risk. He was risking his position, the clan's secret, his daughters' birth right, and his life. But if his brother could do that for him, he would sure do that for him.

So that's why he was hiding in a corner near the DNA labs. One might say that the great Hyuuga Hiashi had become sentimental, but he didn't care at all at this point in time. He had a job and he intended to follow through with it.

He heard footsteps coming towards him and he guessed someone was bringing Tenten's blood samples. Time to put his plan into action.

The medic was walking towards the lab and Hiashi approached him. He bowed his head when he saw the head of the Hyuuga clan standing in front of them, "Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi nodded his head and looked at what the medic was carrying. He saw Neji and Tenten's names on it. "Let me take those off of your hands."

The medic shook his head, "I'm sorry Hiashi-sama, but I need to get these to the lab. Your clan had ordered a paternity test."

"Yes, a test that was ordered by me. I want to make sure that they get to the lab myself, so the results aren't tampered with," Hiashi lied smoothly.

The medic nodded his head and handed the stand to him. Hiashi added, "Don't tell anyone of this. Otherwise I will make sure that you are out of a job.

The medic looked fearful but nodded his head before scurrying away.

Hiashi smirked a little bit, '_What a fool_.'

He opened the door to the lab and closed the door. Anyone could walk in at any moment, so he had to make quick. He set the stand on the table. He saw the tape with Lee and Neji's name on them and proceeded to remove them. He carefully placed Neji's name on Lee's blood sample and Lee's name on Neji's sample. He switched the samples to make sure that it didn't look tampered with. He looked at the stand, wondering what the consequences could possibly be for this. He didn't want to think about it, as he had now given Tenten and Neji's children a new lease on life. He hoped that it wouldn't come back to haunt him later on…

* * *

_**Please Review.**_

_**Now before I put out the poll…WHO READ THE LAST MANGA CHAPTER?! I'm sorry but as happy as I was about it at first, that whole Team Gai interaction was offensive. Ugh they also made Tenten turn Neji's death into a practical joke (or maybe it's her way of dealing with it, idk!). Sad part of it is that it's as close to NejiTen as we're ever going to get! As for the rest of the chapter, well read it for yourself! Or if you have and want to rant, well you can always PM me or leave it in a review. **_

_**Okay, now for the poll (PICK ONE!) **_

_**A) The results come in and the tests show that Lee is the father. The Hyuuga leave her alone, but Gai, Naruto, and Hinata begin to question her. Lee denies ever having relations with Tenten and vice versa and they take her word for it, and they are all left to wonder who was behind the false report. Tsunade calls Tenten in upon hearing about it. **_

_**B) Hiashi comes to Tenten the night before the test results come in and tells her that he switched the blood samples. He says that it will stay a secret on the condition that he is allowed to be present in the children's lives. Tsunade hears of the testing and calls Team Gai in. When the results come in, the Hyuuga are shocked, but they leave Tenten alone, but some are still suspicious. **_

_**All right, are we good? Well looks like the characters are in for a little shock in the next chapter. Like how I put that one line from this week's manga chapter in there? Yeah I know I made Hiashi a little angry at the beginning, but I guess anyone would be in a case like that. Yes, Tsunade will get involved in the next chapter. And yeah it's probably illegal to use someone's blood without their consent, but it might be legal there, I don't know. I researched paternity tests for this chapter, yes they can determine paternity through blood tests. **_

_**Okay so I have enough story ideas to last me until I'm in my thirties. Well I have four upcoming fics which should be up sometime within the next few months. I already have titles, summaries, and pairings thought out. If you're curious, just go on my profile, and look for the subsection that says Upcoming which is under the section called Fanfiction updates/summaries. PM me if you have questions or comments! Yay that's it for this week folks! Next update is February 21****st****! Remember I update every Friday! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Till next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	10. For the Both of Us

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 2/21/14: Okay, you know what? I think the twins are going to be born in the next chapter. Can't keep poor Tenten pregnant forever! All right, Neji is sort of going to show up in a dream in this chapter. As for Hiashi, I'm tired of him always looking like the bad guy when he really isn't. So I decided to give him a break. All righty, don't have much else to say, so here are last week's poll results! **_

_**Option A: 1**_

_**Option B: 7**_

_**Looks like Option B won this round! All right I think I should thank all of you for the continuing support. So thank you Bara-san, Tenten143, ButtercupandButch, Le Dancing Flamingo, Superboy99, Purpleprincess1147, Serious Sam, heyy, and Yumae-chan! Hope you continue to review and enjoy this story! Okay now enjoy this! **_

_**Chapter 10: For the Both of Us**_

* * *

In an attempt to forget about what was to come in the next few days, Tenten tried to keep herself busy around the house. Cooking, cleaning, and even rearranging the old magazines. Well, she tried to do that anyway. Naruto and Hinata visited her one day and saw her trying to place something on the top shelf of a bookcase on a stool.

"Hey, hey what are you doing?" Naruto barked, running over.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Tenten answered, only giving half of her attention to the others in the room.

"Tenten, get down from there! You shouldn't be doing that in your condition," Hinata reminded her. Tenten sighed and slowly lowered herself from the stool. Naruto frowned and took the stool.

"Seriously, what were you thinking? You're pregnant with twins!" Naruto reprimanded, taking the stool and placing it in the kitchen.

"I didn't notice," Tenten groaned sarcastically. People really had an annoying habit of reminding her that she was pregnant.

"Tenten, you need to take better care of yourself! You have not one but two lives growing inside of you!" Hinata said.

Tenten gulped to keep herself from tearing, "If these two lives even get a chance at all. From what your father said, it doesn't look good."

Hinata smiled gently, "Don't worry about it, they won't come to know."

Oh that was right. Naruto and Hinata weren't aware of the paternity test. And neither were Gai and Lee. If they came to know, well she'd have a lot of answering to do. But she didn't care. They were still her friends and she couldn't avoid them forever.

"They will tomorrow," she confessed. Naruto and Hinata exchanged confused looks. Tomorrow? What was happening tomorrow.

Tenten was almost amused by it all. Might as well be who knew what fate had in store for her, "I took the paternity test."

"WHAT?!" they both screamed. Naruto's voice was loud enough to knock one of the pictures on the side table off.

Tenten shook her head and picked up the picture. Of course it was the team picture. And of course the glass was cracked over Neji's face. If she was superstitious, that would've freaked her out.

"Pipe down, and yes I took the paternity test. I didn't have a choice in the matter," Tenten's voice went flat. Like she was numb or something.

"B—But we could have found another way!" Hinata cried. She knew Tenten hadn't been given much of a choice and had been backed into a corner. But still, she could have sound another way to calm her family down. She didn't want the last remnants of her cousin's memory to be eradicated completely.

"How Hinata? Would your father have stopped them? Because he seemed pretty upset at us from keeping this from him!" Tenten shook her head.

"But these children Tenten!" Hinata begged.

"You don't think I'm scared stiff? Don't you know how much I want these children? Because if by some miracle, the results come back and they say that Lee's the father, I'm not going to be able to be a mother ever!" Tenten was having a hard time keeping herself together.

"Tenten…" Naruto started but Tenten continued on.

"I'm scared you guys. You know, you give your virginity to someone you consider your best friend because of how much you love him and he loves you, only to have him die a week later. And then a month later you find out you're pregnant with his baby and while you feel like he isn't completely lost to you, while at the same time you realize just how alone you are."

Hinata inwardly smiled. Tenten was beginning to open up. "But still, you should have talked to us or even Gai-sensei before getting the test done."

Tenten put a hand to her temple, "I know. But there was no time. I had to give them my answer. I would've had to take the test either way."

Naruto shook his head, "Well now what do we do? The test is going to be back any day now then."

Hinata shook her head, "I'll talk to otousan. Maybe he'll have a solution…"

Naruto shook his head, "Yeah right, you saw how pissed he was. Why would he want to help us now?"

"Nii san was like a son to him. He was just angry, he wouldn't actually…" Hinata said, although her tone of voice made her sound unsure.

"Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong. Either way, the secret's going to come out one way or the other," Tenten sighed.

Naruto frowned, "Now don't talk like that, maybe we could talk to baa-chan?"

Tenten shook her head, "You want her to go up against the most powerful clan in Konoha? Last time a Hokage alienated a clan, the Uchiha were eradicated."

Hinata nodded her head, "She does have a point…"

Naruto chewed on his bottom lip, "Okay let's think then. How can we reason with the Hyuuga?"

Tenten laughed dryly, "It won't be easy. The Hyuuga can be extremely hard headed. With the exception of maybe Hinata, I don't think we can sway the Hyuuga to see passed their rigid views and do what's right."

Hinata sighed, "They aren't necessarily like that, and they can be swayed if they see the benefits."

Tenten frowned, "Okay, but what are the benefits of this situation? The strongest member of their clan soiled their reputation by having a one night stand with a non-Hyuuga woman and gets her pregnant. It doesn't look good right now."

A light bulb flashed in Naruto's mind. That was it! "Actually, I think you just gave us the solution to the problem."

Tenten thought back to what she had just said. She didn't say anything that would get the gears turning. Especially not the ones in Naruto's brain, "What are you talking about?"

"Neji was the strongest member of the clan right?" it wasn't much of a question, but the girls nodded their heads anyway.

"Well, if these kids are his, then there's a chance that they'll be pretty powerful, maybe even more so than their dad. They'll be an asset to the clan. They won't want to have them killed in which case," Naruto pointed out.

Hinata nodded her head, "But they could see it the other way too. They could see them as threats."

"And it's also a huge what-if Naruto; we don't know just how powerful they'll be," Tenten said.

"Well then we'll need to do a little convincing. And if push comes to shove, then so be it. But I'm not going to let anything happen to those kids. It's the least I can do for Neji," the last part came out in a whisper.

Tenten looked down and sighed. It was all she could do. Not only would her children would not only be blessed with one father figure but two. And maybe it was good enough for now. That is…if they even had a chance. But she believed in Naruto. He had never failed anyone once, and she didn't expect him to fail this time either…

* * *

Tenten lounged on her couch. She had barely been able to think straight since Naruto mentioned his idea. Her stomach did a series of somersaults and cartwheels. Tomorrow would be the day that the test results would reveal the truth. She stroked her belly. This might be the last night she had with her children. She would cherish it for the rest of her life. Well whatever was left of it anyway. Well she'd rather die than have the babies and the last traces of Neji ripped away from her.

"I don't know how much time we have babies…but whatever happens I just want you two to know how much your mother loves you," she whispered to her belly. She then felt the babies move to the sound of her voice. She smiled sadly, trying not to break down. She couldn't afford to. She had to stay strong as well as optimistic.

There was a light tap at the door. Tenten looked up and looked at the clock. It was 10:30pm. Who on earth could be visiting her at this hour? Hinata was still in trouble so she had a curfew, and Naruto was probably asleep. Gai and Lee turned in promptly at 9 o'clock. So it couldn't be them either.

She was scared to open the door. Had the test results come in early? Just the thought paralyzed her with fear.

Another tap came from the door and Tenten bit her lip. Well, it was time to face whoever it was.

She took a deep breath before she opened the door. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked in shock at who was at the door.

"Hi—Hiashi-sama?"

The man stood outside the door, no discernable expression on his face. Well that was sort of a positive. He didn't look as angry as he had a few days prior.

"May I come in?" was all he said. Tenten was still scared but she stepped out of the way so that he could enter. Hiashi stepped into the house and examined every bit of it. He frowned a little.

"I—is there a reason for your visit," she stammered out. Damn it, she sounded like Hinata. Not that it was a bad thing, of course.

Hiashi paused for a second. How to go about this? Beginning with an apology would probably suffice. "I should apologize for my rude behavior that day. I had no right to storm into your home and say such harsh things."

Tenten was stunned. Was Hyuuga Hiashi apologizing to her of all people? Especially when it was her who had hidden something that he probably had had a right to know from the beginning.

"Hiashi-sama, please don't—," she started, but Hiashi continued on.

"No please let me finish. I shouldn't have stormed out of here like that. I shouldn't have been so rude. Especially when you are in this condition."

Hiashi's gaze cast down on Tenten's enlarged belly. He smiled inwardly. The last pieces of both his brother and nephew were growing in there.

"No, this was my fault. I should've come to you first. But I didn't, in fear that there would be consequences to what Neji and I had done. And I thought that you would take action against it. But now I see that by not doing so, I have dug myself into a deeper hole," she lamented.

Hiashi couldn't help but feel the utmost compassion for the poor girl in front of him. She didn't deserve what life had handed her. How would she have known that this would happen? She didn't deserve to become entangled in their family's issues.

"Don't be. But before I tell you what I am about to, will you answer one question?" Hiashi requested.

Tenten nodded her head.

Hiashi paused once again. How to ask this without sounding intrusive? It was probably best to just say it. "What exactly was your relationship with my nephew?"

The question caught Tenten off guard. She was definitely not expecting that. Then again, she didn't know what to expect from this man. "I—I—I—It's really complicated actually."

Hiashi once again lowered his gaze to her belly, "It must've been very complicated if you are in this condition. But how did you feel about him? I want an honest answer."

Tenten gave him a wistful look, "I don't know how much of it matters anymore. In fact even if he were alive I don't think it would've mattered. But I loved him. I loved him more than anything. I still do. And as crazy as it sounds, instead of going away the love just grows more and more every day. I didn't think it was possible, but I love him with every fiber of my being."

As hardened of an exterior that Hiashi had, he found that his eyes growing moist at her words. His nephew had been a lucky man. Had Neji lived, Hiashi would've bent over backwards to ensure that these two would be together. No one else would've been a better match for him.

But how did Neji feel? That was the question in all of this. But Tenten continued.

"I didn't know how he felt really. Our relationship exceeded the boundaries of friendship many months before the war started. We couldn't call ourselves a couple, but we knew what we had together was beyond a friendship. That is until a mission before the war. And that's how," she looked down at her belly, "this happened. But that was when I knew that he felt the same way."

Hiashi closed his eyes. He did know what that felt like. It was not something that many people were lucky enough to find. He and his brother had been lucky in that respect. They had been those lucky few. Apparently his nephew had been too. He was grateful that his nephew had found his true love and soul mate before his passing.

"If I could bring him back to us, I would do it in a heartbeat. Sadly as a man, I cannot. But I can do something for him, for you, and for them," Hiashi whispered.

Tenten, who had been biting back her tears, looked at him perplexed. What could he possibly do at this point to make anything better?

"I was at the hospital the day you had taken the paternity test," he began. He paused for a second as he saw the look on her face become even more confused. He continued, "I took the blood samples from the medic."

Tenten gasped as she realized what he was telling her, but even then, "Hiashi-sama...what did you do?"

Hiashi knew that she just needed a confirmation, "I switched the names on the blood sample."

She was dreaming. She had to have been dreaming. Because there was no way that Hyuuga Hiashi had just told her that he'd done something completely illegal to save her and her babies. Well maybe it was just for the babies, but still. "Y—you mean you…"

Hiashi nodded his head, "I did. I don't know what the consequences will be, but I did it for my brother and my nephew. A part of them lives on inside of you. I won't let anything happen to those children or you."

That was the second time this week someone had told her that. "I—I don't know what to say. I don't know how I can ever thank you."

Hiashi smiled gently, "There is one way that you can repay me."

Tenten smiled, "Anything."

He looked back at her belly and then up at her again, "I would like to be a part of the children's lives. I've made many mistakes in my life, including not being there for Neji when he was younger. If you'll let me, then I would like to rectify my mistake."

He bowed his head slightly, shocking Tenten even more. Hiashi was bowing his head to her. No that wasn't right.

"Hiashi-sama please, don't embarrass me. Please don't bow your head to me."

"Then please?" his voice broke a little. Tenten walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"That's hardly a question Hiashi-sama. After what you've done, I think this is the least that I can do," she smiled.

Hiashi raised his head up and smiled at the girl. Well, she was respectful and pleasant. A wonderful wife for his nephew she would've made. Even if she couldn't be that, at least she would be having his children. The Hyuuga needed a combination of both her and Neji. It was just a pity that Neji wasn't here to see it…

* * *

Tenten was able to sleep that night. It was the first time in almost a week that she could sleep well. In the morning she could finally tell Gai and Lee about what had happened. Especially Lee, he would definitely need to know about this. She didn't know how he would react to his name being on the paternity test, but he did deserve to know.

Her mind began to wonder as she dozed off.

_**Her Dream**_

_Tenten was standing in the middle of the training grounds. She frowned as she realized which training ground this was. It was the one she and Neji had always used. She'd avoided it like the plague since the war ended. Why was she here? She looked down. Well, she still had the baby bump. _

"_Like old times isn't it?" a smooth, familiar voice said from behind her. She jumped at the realization at who it was. _

_She whirled around and saw Neji looking at her, smiling. She couldn't believe it. "N—Neji?!" _

_Neji smiled crookedly, "Who else would I be?" _

_Normally she would've smiled or embraced him, but she didn't know why, she just slapped him. _

_Neji was dumbfounded as he grabbed his cheek and looked at her and he frowned, "What was that for?" _

_Tenten's eye twitched as she pointed to her enormous belly, "Do you have to ask?" _

_Neji looked down confused and then smiled, "Ah that. Yes, that's why I came to talk to you." _

_Tenten arched her eyebrow and she folded her arms, "This is a dream Neji, and you aren't real. You're just a figment of my thoughts."_

_Neji looked like he was trying desperately to resist the urge to burst out laughing, "Is that so? Then how come I haven't appeared in your dreams till tonight?" _

_Tenten rolled her eyes, "I don't know. But don't get so cocky Neji. My world has never revolved solely around you." _

_Neji seemed unfazed by her comment and he continued to smile, "And that's what I love about you. You have the capability to love and balance. Not many people can do that." _

_Tenten felt a lump in her throat. He'd said love. "Why are you here Neji?" _

_Neji's face fell a little as he placed a hand on her stomach, "Tenten, I came to apologize." _

_Tenten's eyebrows furrowed, "Apologize for what? This?" _

_Neji closed his eyes and shook his head, "No, not this. For leaving you alone like this. I should've been more careful that night. But I—I couldn't help myself." _

_Neji took her hand and pressed it against his cheek. He felt warm. It was like…he was still alive. But Tenten shook her head, "No, Neji don't take all the blame. It takes two to make this happen. And I gave into you willingly." _

_Neji breathed in heavily, "But still, I should've been more careful." He continued to rub her belly gently. She looked up at his face to see a lone tear making its way down his cheek. _

"_Please, don't do that," she whispered. "This wasn't your fault. Sure it wasn't ideal, but I am happy. I still have you with me. Through these babies." _

_Neji tore his gaze away from her belly to look into her eyes, "Babies?" _

_She grinned, "We're having twins." _

_Neji once again looked at her belly. A very uncharacteristic goofy grin graced his features. He leaned down and kissed her stomach softly. He then rested his forehead on her belly. He stayed like that for a while and Tenten just let him stay like that. It wasn't until she heard a sob rip from his throat that she realized that he was crying. "I'm sorry little ones…" she heard him whisper. _

_Tenten's heart broke several times more. Neji wasn't one to cry. But to see him so vulnerable just made everything in her hurt. "Neji…stand up and look at me." _

_Neji froze for a second before doing what he was told. He was still taller than her so she had to look up at him. She'd never seen him so sad or guilt-stricken. But it made her love him all the more. _

"_Tenten I—," he began but Tenten silenced him by placing her finger on his lips. _

"_No don't…This wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. You did what you had to and I'm proud of you," she reassured. _

_He didn't looked convinced, "I'm sorry." _

"_For what?" she asked. _

"_For not being here for you. For not being able to be here for them. And most importantly, I'm sorry I never told you how I felt," he answered. _

_Tenten smiled sadly, "I know how you felt…"_

"_I still should've said it," he went on. _

"_I never said it either," Tenten pointed out. _

"_But let me correct that," Neji looked her in the eye and wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked away, her cheeks heating up. But Neji grabbed her chin with a hand so that she was looking in his eyes. He took a deep breath before speaking, "I don't know when it happened or how, but I love you. I know you already know that, but you need to know how much I do. I'm lucky that I got to spend my time on Earth with you. I'm lucky that you were the one that I gave my heart to. " _

_Tenten let the tears slip down her cheeks, "I love you too. With every fiber of my being, I love you more and more every day. I always have and I always will." _

_It was corny, but they didn't care. Neji smiled, leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. She eagerly kissed back. They remained like that, all the love that they had for each other poured into the kiss. While it was only a dream, it didn't feel any different than if she was awake. But she knew that her dreams were the only place that Neji would be now. _

_They pulled away at the same time and Neji smiled sadly. He tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear, "Then please, do one thing for me." _

"_Anything," she whispered. _

"_Don't keep doing this to yourself. Don't hide your feelings please. It's not a sign of weakness. Let people in. If not for your sake, then do it for me. I can't watch you do this to yourself anymore." _

_Tenten looked surprised, "Neji I'm—." _

_Neji shook his head, "No you aren't fine. I've been watching over you. I see you dying every day. Please don't be ashamed to be sad. Come clean about it." _

_Tenten bit her lip, "I just…I just miss you so much. It's hard…"_

"_I know it is. But you can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to move on with your life. You're a mother now," he smiled as the words rolled off of his tongue. _

"_Neji I can't…" _

"_Please, for the both of us. And for them." _

"_I'll try," she said softly. _

_He embraced her softly, "Don't worry about it Ten. We'll be together again one day. But don't rush that, live your life. I'll always be waiting." _

_Tenten couldn't help it, she began wailing. She didn't care who saw anymore. Her heart had been broken for quite some time, but she was only now realizing just how badly. Her heart might heal, but it would be scarred. And only Neji could've been the cure for it. Neji embraced her and she continued to cry. He too sobbed sadly, knowing that life had dealt them each a terrible hand. Just when they'd found each other, just when they realized that they had been made for each other, they were being torn apart for eternity. Well not eternity, but life and death separated them now. _

"_You need to wake up Tenten," he whispered. _

_Tenten shook her head, "No, I can't." _

"_For my sake. For our children's sake. For your own sake" _

"_Don't leave me…" she whimpered. _

_Neji pressed his lips against her forehead, "I never will. I can't be with you in life, but every time you see a white dove flying overhead, that'll be me." _

_Tenten looked up at him and said, "I will always love you, Neji." _

"_And I will always love you too…" he whispered._

* * *

Tenten opened her eyes. She saw that it was daylight outside, but she wanted it to be night again so that she could see him again. But he'd never return to her. Not in this life. She began to resent being awake more than anything.

That's when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. She froze. Who was inside of her house? She grabbed the kunai from under her pillow.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Gai announced, opening the door, assuming that she was still asleep.

Tenten groaned. She had forgotten that she'd given them both a key to her apartment. Of course she had…

"Hokage-sama wants to meet with us this morning! So get up!" he grinned.

Tenten groaned. 'Note to self: Kill sensei after I give birth…'

* * *

They stood in the middle of the Hokage's office. It was still pretty early, so hardly any of the villagers had seen her yet. It was kind of sad that the only time that she could leave her house was early morning or late at night. The Hokage was staring at her stomach. She looked less than pleased.

In her hand was an envelope. Tenten gulped when she saw her name on the envelope. It was the paternity test. Double crap. Now even Tsunade knew.

"Tsunade-sama?" Gai started, but shut up when Tsunade closed her eyes. She slid the envelope forward so that Gai and Lee could get a better look at it. They read the words before looking at Tenten with a confused look.

"Tenten, a paternity test…?" Gai asked, incredulously.

"Why did you not come to us before taking this?" Lee asked, equally as confused.

"You can imagine my surprise that when I came here this morning I saw Shizune carrying a file that wasn't for me. She dropped it when I came up behind her and I saw what was on it. I read the results Tenten," Tsunade's tone of voice was flat.

Before Tenten could say anything, Lee blurted out, "Do not be angry with Tenten! What happened between her and Neji was not intended! Please do not not punish her!"

Tenten wanted to throttle Lee at that point. This was probably another reason she should've said something. Lee didn't know that his name was on the file, and no one sure as hell knew that Hiashi had switched the samples. Least of all Tsunade.

Of course pure shock washed over Tsunade's face, "Hyuuga Neji? If he's the father, then why is Lee's name on results?"

Lee's eyes widened, realizing what he'd done. He gave her a desperate and apologetic stare. She only frowned more. "W—well i—it's …"

"Tenten, tell me truthfully, because I have to give these results to the Hyuuga. WHO IS THE FATHER?" she bellowed.

Tenten winced at the tone of voice, "I—it's…"

"Is it Neji or Lee, Tenten?" her voice was low and dangerous once again.

"I—it's…" she couldn't say it. She just couldn't.

Tsunade turned to Lee and frowned, "Lee, I know that you aren't the father. It was obvious from the moment that I read the results that someone had rigged the results. Anyone who has seen Neji and Tenten would know how they felt about each other. And I know you weren't drunk either, because we all know what happens when you are drunk. But my question is," she turned back to Tenten, "Why did you hide your pregnancy for so long?"

Tenten gulped, "I didn't know how to tell people about this. Especially because these babies are Hyuuga."

"Babies?" Tsunade repeated, catching the plural. She frowned, "Tenten how did—."

"Neji and I were in love and we spent a night together, we didn't think things through. But if the Hyuuga find out, who knows what'll happen. Please, I know I've messed up, but don't punish my children for my carelessness," Tenten begged.

Before Tsunade had a chance to answer, she heard a light tap on the door. Shizune opened the door and announced, "The Hyuuga Elders are here about the paternity test."

Shizune had apparently read the results as well because she shot Tenten a confused look. It seemed everyone had been aware of her relationship with Neji prior to his demise.

One by one, they filled the room. The looks on their faces completely stoic. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became even more suffocating.

"Well?" the one in front asked. Tenten frowned. It was Neji's grandfather.

Tsunade opened the envelope and Tenten froze in place. She prayed that the Hokage wouldn't reveal the truth behind the results. She couldn't be so heartless.

She read the results, "According to the blood testing, Rock Lee is indeed the father of the children."

Tenten caught a glimpse of Lee, who was tight lipped now.

Looks around the room spanned from shock to displeasure. This whole thing had proved to be a giant waste of time for all of them. Others looked at Tenten, and noticed that there was something off about her body language. They nudged each other and one by one they all took note. She didn't seem relieved at all, but rather tense. How odd, they thought. There was something fishy going here for sure.

"Are you positive?" the Elder inquired.

Tsunade scowled, "I can read and if you'd like to see the results for yourself, then here take the file with you."

The Elder took the test and envelope and muttered a gruff, "Thank you."

The Elders all shot Tenten somewhat dirty looks as they filed out of the room. Once the last of them was out, Shizune closed the door.

Tenten turned to Tsunade, "You lied to them, why?"

Tsunade's eyebrows her furrowed but she smiled, "Because I know what it's like to be in your position. Well, minus the babies of course. I too lost the love of my life Tenten. Shizune is the one thing I have left of him. I'm not going to let you lose the last thing you have of your love."

Tenten smiled gratefully. What a relief, she thought. With the Hokage on her side, it'd be easier to go through the rest of her pregnancy. Now she could spend her last trimester of pregnancy and life in peace without any further interference from any Hyuuga other than Hinata and Hiashi.

Or so she thought…

* * *

_**Please Review.**_

_**So while doing my research I discovered something weird. So in the Naruto world, it seems that the babies come on time. And seeing as Neji's birthday is July 3**__**rd**__**, the date of conception was October 10**__**th**__**. As in 10/10 as in Tenten.**_ _**It's also Naruto's birthday. And ironically my pregnant friend is due that day too and she has the same birthday as Neji. Weird. All right here's the poll! **_

_**A) Skip 2 ½ months. Tenten talks about the baby names and then gets ready. All of the sudden she gets really bad labor pains. Luckily Hinata and Naruto were there and they get Tsunade. There are some complications with the birth, possibly life threatening. **_

_**B) Also skip 2 ½ months and Gai and Lee are visiting Tenten. Tenten's been having some pain for hours but she can't figure out why as it's too soon to give birth. Finally her water breaks and they see that she's already 9 cm dilated. (I researched it, it can happen!) There's no time to call for help. **_

_**C) All of the above (minus the last part of B!) **_

_**Okay three options once again! No matter what the twins are going to be born. As for the request on naming it Neji if one of the babies is a boy…well I thought long and hard about it. Considering the route this story took, naming him Neji would only draw suspicion by the Hyuuga. But I got a solution in a PM so I think we can make it happen. Also Naruto's solution will come in handy later in the story. And I cried while typing that NejiTen scene. That was sad even for me. **_

_**And the manga…well let me put it to you this way: I'm more disappointed by what they DIDN'T show than what they DID show. Also, I'm dying to know who the mystery foot belongs to! Next week is chapter 666 (ohhh shit…)! And another thing! My next NejiTen story is going to be released on April 4**__**th**__**, and it's basically an alternate scenario to after Chapter 614, where Neji both lives and finds a way to get rid of his curse. And for all you NaruHina fans, my post-apocalyptic NaruHina AU fic with a bunch of action hopefully is going to be released on May 3**__**rd**__**. Read if you're interested! Okay that's it for this week! Next update is February 28**__**th**__**! Remember I update every Friday! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Till next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


	11. You Have to Live

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. **_

_**A/N 2/28/14: Hey there! Looks like February is just about over! Okay NOW! To answer one question from the last chapter: That was Neji saying his goodbyes, but he'll be back for this chapter! Yes, I need some Neji once in a while. Okay now who's ready for the NejiTen babies?! God I wish I was talking about the manga. But anyway yes! Let us proceed! Here are the poll results! **_

_**Option A: 3**_

_**Option B: 2**_

_**Option C: 4**_

_**Option C wins! Looks like more work for me! I am perfectly okay with that! **_

_**Warning: Childbirth scene might get really graphic and bloody **_

_**Chapter 11: You Have to Live**_

* * *

Spring came and went, and Tenten found that her energy was slowly being sapped day by day. Normal, Tsunade had said. As tired and huge as she felt, she was giddy as well. With the next few weeks, she'd be a mother. Her due date was June 25th, but Tsunade had told her that multiple births occur about 3 or 4 weeks before the given date. So for all she knew, she could end up having the babies a full month early.

That scared her. She looked at the calendar and saw that it was the 27th of May. She wasn't due for another 29 days. She sighed as she gently stroked her belly. The contractions had already started too, meaning it wouldn't be long now. Her belly was completely stretched out and the babies were moving around all the time. It made it hard to sleep or really do anything. Well Gai and Lee were still around, except they had gotten even more annoying. Lee was taking his role as the standing father a little too seriously, and Gai refused to accept that he'd have to act as the grandfatherly figure. And if he had to, he'd be the most "youthful of them all".

Well at least they'd helped her put the nursery together. She only had one spare room, but it was big enough to put two cribs, a changing table, plenty of toys, and unisex clothing. She didn't yet know the gender or genders of the babies yet, and she preferred to keep it that way. She sort of liked surprises. Tsunade had done a checkup and that's when Tenten came to know that her babies were fraternal, not identical twins.

She leaned against the doorway of the nursery. Within a few weeks, there'd be two babies sleeping in here. By now it was obvious to everyone in Konoha that she was pregnant, but with the exception of Gai, Lee, Naruto, Hinata, Hiashi, Tsunade, and Shizune, everyone thought that the babies were Lee's.

Of course people were shocked at that. Who would've expected Lee and Tenten of all people? Even their friends were shocked, especially Sakura. She was still under the impression that Lee still had a crush on her, but she was happy for Tenten nonetheless.

Of course, they would probably be a little more shocked when the babies came out. She prayed that they looked like her, but that probably wouldn't happen. Hinata and Hiashi had said that the Byakugan was a dominant gene, so most likely they'd both have the Byakugan.

She turned her attention to the window, and saw a white dove fly outside. She smiled as she remembered what Neji had said in the dream…

"…_every time you see a white dove flying overhead, that'll be me."_

He'd stayed true to his word. He was forever watching over her. Maybe it hadn't really been goodbye after all…

* * *

Gai and Lee were over later that day. They were around a lot more often now, as she was nearing the end of the pregnancy. They wanted to be there in case she went into labor. Naruto and Hinata would be coming by later.

Tenten had begun to feel some sharp pains coming from her abdomen, but thought nothing of it. She thought it might be cramps or something. She was ordered complete bed rest now by Tsunade, which she begrudgingly agreed to her.

While watching Gai and Lee waiting on her hand and foot was pretty amusing, she wanted to do something on her. She didn't like sitting on her butt for too long. Sometimes she wished that Gai and Lee didn't treat her like the delicate flower they'd made her to be.

"So Tenten," Tenten opened one eye to see Lee sitting next to her. He had a serious look on his face. Tenten frowned, usually when Lee was trying to be serious, it was serious.

"Is something wrong Lee?" Tenten said, sitting up.

"I was thinking…" he began, but trailed off into mumbles. Tenten sighed as she looked down. She could no longer see her feet.

"Spit it out Lee," she said.

"What are you going to name the babies?" he asked.

Tenten paused. Uh oh. That was definitely something she had not thought about. "I knew I was forgetting to do something!"

Lee raised one of his thick eyebrows, "You have no thought of it? Tenten, the babies are going to be here within a month!"

"I know, I know. Sorry, my brain feels like baby food as of late. I mean between all the other preparations and exhaustion, I forgot that I can't name them 'Twin 1' and 'Twin 2'." She sighed. Maybe it was time that she got on with that. Well she'd have to pick out a bunch of names, seeing as she didn't know the gender or genders of the babies. She hadn't even brought a baby name book.

As if reading her mind, Lee handed her a book. "10,000 Beautiful Baby Names". Tenten blinked. Who had given her this, and when?

"It was a gift from Hinata-chan!" Lee answered. "I do not need it though! I already have two names picked out! One for a boy, and one for a girl!"

Tenten raised an eyebrow, "Okay, well what if it's two boys or two girls?"

"I have thought of it! Let us each name of the babies! I have picked out the ones that I liked, so I think you should select two names as well! If the twins are a boy and a girl, I already have the perfect name for the boy!" Lee announced proudly.

Tenten tried her hardest not to grimace. She was scared of what Lee might have come up with so she said, "No Lee, its fine I'll just…"

Lee's facial expression turned serious once again, "Trust me Tenten. I know you will like the boy name that I picked out."

Tenten sighed. She did trust Lee. But she wasn't sure that she trusted him enough to let him name her son if she was having one. That would be the name that he carried around for the rest of his life. She couldn't allow him to name her son something stupid. But if Lee was really dead set on the name, then the least she could do was hear it out.

"Okay Lee, what do you have in mind?" Tenten asked wearily.

Lee was about to open his mouth, but that's when the door swung wide open to reveal the forms of Naruto and Hinata. They were here earlier than expected. Apparently they had finished training early. Naruto had an annoying habit of attempting to predict that they babies would be born whenever he was there. Tenten couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Just then another pang hit Tenten and she cringed. Ugh, what was going on with her anyway? These weren't cramps, but she shrugged them off.

Hinata did however notice. "Tenten? Are you all right?"

Tenten nodded, "Yeah, I've just been cramping up like crazy that's all."

Hinata frowned, "Do you think…?"

Tenten shook her head and smiled, "No, I'm not due for another 4 weeks. Besides, I know that there are two of them, but they shouldn't come for another week at the earliest.

Hinata looked uncertain, "Still. Do you want to go to the hospital? Get it checked out?"

"No it's fine, I'm fine. Really I am," Tenten assured.

"Tenten, maybe you should listen to what they're saying," Gai said, coming out of the kitchen.

"And I'm telling you not to worry about it. I'll be fine. It's probably because I'm close to my due date, don't worry about it," she said, but the uncertainty in her voice made it clear to everyone that she herself was unsure.

"You are sure?" Lee asked, trying to make sure.

Tenten sighed, "Okay I promise that if the pain gets worse or continues tomorrow, you guys can take me to the hospital."

Everyone looked at each other nervously. They didn't want to risk Tenten or the babies' health, but she was stubborn. Dragging her to the hospital would be an effort that even Gai and Lee didn't want to put in. But she had said that if the pains get any worse they could drag her to the hospital if they wished to.

"All right. But you let us know if the pain gets any worse, all right?" Gai said, and Tenten nodded her head.

"Promise."

* * *

Tenten found herself tossing and turning like a mad woman. The pains in her stomach were only getting worse and now they were coming closer together. Clutching her stomach, she painfully made her way to the bathroom. As of late, she had to pee a lot more than she usually did. The babies were squeezing down on her bladder as they had been, but now it seemed even more so.

She sat down on the toilet and yet another pain came. They were now at least a minute apart now. Thinking back to what she read, she realized that she might actually be going into labor. She bit her lip. Well if that were the case, she'd been in labor for hours.

But Tsunade had said that the children being premature more than 3 weeks was highly unlikely. Another pain came. She looked down and her eyes widened as she felt something snap inside of her and almost immediately, fluid started leaking out of her.

This was not good. There was no one at her apartment right now, and she was not about to let the woman in the apartment building help her through this. But how was she supposed to do anything at this point? The pain in her belly only intensified as she left the bathroom and lay back on her bed.

This continued to happen for hours, and she had to scream into her pillow to make sure that no one else heard her. If other people came coming running, they'd discover what Tenten's little secret was the minute that the children were born.

She hissed, "Oh Neji, you are so lucky that you're dead! How could you do this to me?!"

* * *

Hiashi and Hinata had decided to go on a little stroll. It was late, but neither of them could really sleep. They couldn't help but have a restless feeling in their gut, especially Hinata. Especially after knowing that Tenten had been in pain earlier. Maybe she should tell her father.

She turned around and saw that her father was deep in thought. She frowned, "Otousan?"

"Hm?" Hiashi said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Are you feeling all right?" she asked.

"Yes, I am. Just a little restless," he answered.

"As am I," she confessed.

Hiashi frowned, "Oh? Do you wish to talk about it?"

She sighed, maybe it was a good idea to tell him. He was already in on the whole thing himself, "It's Tenten. I think she's starting to have labor pains."

Hiashi frowned, "And you didn't take her to the hospital?"

"We tried to, but she insisted on not going. I don't know why she's being like that," Hinata shrugged.

Hiashi frowned, "Well, shall we go and check on her then? I don't feel safe just leaving her in this state."

Nothing more needed to be said, because if Hiashi wished it, it just ended up happening anyway. Hinata never argued and they found themselves on the way to Tenten's house. Surprisingly enough, they ran into Gai and Lee walking towards her house as well.

"Couldn't sleep hm?" Gai said as he approached them.

"We're worried about Tenten. I still think that she's going into labor. We should've stayed with her," Hinata said regretfully.

"Well, Lee and I have the keys. If she doesn't open up, we can just walk in. You're right, we shouldn't have left her alone," he nodded his head.

It wasn't like Hiashi to become impatient, but he right now, he was eager to reach the apartment, "Well, there's no use just standing here. Come on. She might need us."

They all walked a little faster. They didn't want to alert anyone to their presence, as it would definitely draw suspicion. Why would Hyuuga Hiashi be seen with the likes of any of them if it hadn't been for a good reason? People loved to poke their noses into places that they didn't belong in. Because of this, Tenten hadn't been able to leave her apartment in fear that people would talk down to her once again.

And unsurprisingly, Naruto was the one they found at Tenten's door step. He wasn't in his usual sleeping attire, so Hinata assumed that he hadn't gone home at all.

"How long have you been here?" she questioned.

"I came here straight after dropping you off. I mean, I didn't exactly feel safe leaving her alone. What if something happens to her? Neji would never forgive me," he frowned when he said his name. In fact, everyone looked a little crestfallen at the mention of Neji. Even after nearly a year, they still hadn't been able to recover completely from it. Naruto and Hinata especially felt it, as he gave his life to save theirs. And to that they'd be eternally indebted to him.

They all turned their attention to the apartment, when they heard a loud scream coming from inside. The scream was followed by cursing and an almost inaudible cry.

Lee pounded on the door, "Tenten? Tenten are you all right? Tenten?"

No answer came, but her screams continued. She was trying to say something, but she was in too much pain to say anything coherently. Lee didn't waste any time, grabbing the keys and he opened the doors. Tenten's screams only seemed to grow louder and louder.

"I'll go in! The four of you stay outside and don't come in unless I say to," Hinata ordered. The four men weren't pleased by that, but seeing as Tenten was a woman, it made sense that a woman should be in there with her.

Hinata ran into Tenten's bedroom and closed the door. She bit her lip when she saw that Tenten was on lying flat on her back, clenching the bedsheets in one hand, and clutching her stomach in her other hand. Tears of pain and agony were pouring endlessly down her sweat drenched face. What she was going through made Hinata almost never want to have children.

"Tenten!" she said, making her presence known. Tenten looked up to see Hinata coming towards her.

"Hinata," she panted, "I'm sorry I—I should've listened!"

"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay. Just focus on your breathing and talk to me. How long has this been going on?" Hinata said as calmly as she could. Inwardly, she was panicking. She didn't know anything about childbirth or any of its specifics. How was she supposed to help out if she barely knew anything about this herself?

"All day! I was downplaying the whole thing! I've been in pain for hours! My water broke 3 or 4 hours ago! I didn't know what to do, no one was here!" she wailed as another contraction hit her.

"Okay Tenten, I'm going to lift up your nightgown okay?" Hinata said, proceeding to do just that. Her eyes widened when she saw. Tenten was indeed going into labor, in fact, she looked like she was just about ready to push, but Hinata wasn't taking any chances by doing this on her own. Tenten's cries didn't stop, so she needed to be quick.

She then got up and opened the door to see that the men were all pacing, they all looked very tense. They saw Hinata, and their eyes screamed, "Is she okay?"

"She's been in labor for quite some time, someone needs to go and get Tsunade-sama immediately!" she said.

"I'll go. Make sure she stays safe!" Naruto said, making his way to the door. When she heard the door slam, she went back into the room to see Tenten writhing in pain still. What to do now?

"Tenten, Tsunade-sama is coming, I just need you to keep breathing okay?" Hinata said, wiping the sweat off of her brow.

Tenten gritted her teeth and she clenched the sheets tighter, "Remind me to beat your cousin senseless when I meet him in the afterlife one day. I can't believe that he—AUGHHHH!" she was cut off by another contraction, that was now coming at an alarmingly fast rate. A natural birth was the best way they said, you'll get the experience they said. Screw experience! She wanted to be stuffed with as many drugs as possible to numb her out.

"When is this going to end?" she moaned, her insides feeling like they were going to rip apart.

"Tenten it'll be okay. Just remember that you'll have two beautiful babies at the end of this!" Hinata reminded her.

"But why the pain? Couldn't childbirth just be an easy experience?" she sniffled.

Tenten continued to scream, groan, and writhe in pain. Hinata looked at the clock. It was almost 6 in the morning and Naruto had been gone at least a half an hour by now. Tenten's screams were beginning to hurt her ears.

She finally heard the door open and close. Tsunade's angry voice could be heard. Tsunade entered the room and saw the scene right in front of her. She scowled and looked at the men outside. "You didn't take her to the hospital?"

"She wouldn't let us!"

Tsunade didn't have time to argue as she had babies to deliver. She huffed as she sat in between Tenten's legs. Her anger flared up slightly when she saw that she was already crowning. She frowned up at Tenten.

"How long have you been in labor?" she questioned.

Tenten groaned out a, "All day."

"Give me an approximate time!"

"I don't know, 19, maybe 20 hours! They weren't this bad until just a few hours ago!" she wailed.

Tsunade nodded, "Okay, well on the next contraction, I'm going to need you to give me a big push okay?"

Tenten nodded her head, and about a minute later another contraction hit her. She began pushing with all her might. It was the worst pain she'd ever felt, like pushing out a rock while having her insides feeling like they were slowly ripping apart. And with a final scream, one of the babies were out. It was wailing and crying.

Tsunade smiled gently, "It's a girl!"

Tenten smiled gently, wanting to reach out and touch her daughter, but another wave of pain hit her as another contraction hit her. Of course, she was having two babies instead of one.

"1…2…3…push!" Tsunade ordered. "Come on Tenten give me one more big push! I can see the head!"

Tenten, even though she was already quite exhausted from the first baby, pushed once again with all her might. She screamed as she felt the baby leave her body.

"It's a boy!" she heard, and she wanted to smile, but she was feeling lightheaded. Her consciousness was beginning to desert her.

"Tenten? TENTEN?" she heard Tsunade scream out before complete darkness enveloped her.

"Hinata, here take him!" she said, handing over the wailing baby boy to Hinata. Hinata had already put the girl on the cradle that they had brought just a few weeks before.

"I—Is she all right?" Hinata whispered, feeling her panic rising.

"She's losing too much blood! We need to get her to a hospital right now! I can't treat her here! If we don't get her there soon, we could lose her!" she said, gritting her teeth.

Tenten needed to be saved at all costs…!

* * *

_**Inside Tenten's sub consciousness... **_

_Tenten felt like she was floating within the darkness, no light in sight. She frowned. What happened? One minute she was listening to the sounds of her babies' cries and the next she had completely weakened and blacked out. She frowned. Was she dead? _

_She turned around and saw that there was a light. Maybe that was the way out of here? She didn't know… but she needed to try. _

_She began running towards what seemed to be the exit of her sub conscious mind. That's when she felt someone grab her wrists. She frowned, turning around to see Neji. Her eyes widened. What was he doing here? _

"_N—Neji what are you—?" she asked. _

"_I'm here to stop you from going towards that particular direction," he answered simply. _

"_Clearly, but why? I need to get back to our babies'…" she explained. _

"_No, you aren't going towards them, you're going towards death Tenten," Neji sighed, his grip tightening on her wrist. _

_Tenten frowned, "D—death?" _

_Neji shook his head, "Don't act dumb Tenten, I know that you know where that would've led you to." _

_Tenten shook her head, "N—no that's not it…" _

_Neji turned her around so that she was fully facing him, "Tenten I know you too well. I know you were trying to come towards me and death. But please don't. Please don't leave our children without a mother. My mother died in childbirth, I don't want them going through that pain. They need you…" _

_Tenten's eyes watered, "It's not fair…they need you too." _

"_Remember what I said to you months ago, they do have me. They will always have me, but they need you to be there. Please, for them. You have to live Tenten." _

_Tenten needed to hear two more things, "You're the white dove aren't you?" Neji winked, confirming Tenten's suspicions. "And you'll always be with us? You'll show me how to do this right?" _

_Neji placed a small kiss on her forehead, "Tenten, I think you'll know what to do. I know you can. But you need to live for them." _

"_You'll wait for me?" she asked, her voice soft. _

"_I said I wouldn't, didn't I?" he chuckled. Tenten smiled. Neji was right. She needed to get back to them. She pressed a kiss on his lips. "I love you." _

"_And I you," he said. She smiled as she turned from him, feeling a new grip on her life. She needed to see her children right now. Slowly she felt like she was being lifted up…_

Everything felt fuzzy and all the words people were saying sounded like a blur, but she felt herself slowly being lifted into consciousness.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open…

* * *

_**Please Review. **_

_**I fell asleep last night, I've been exhausted so I'm updating now! Okayyy that was a little painful to write. I mean I've watched my fair share of the Discovery Health Channel, but I don't think their world is quite as advanced as ours. So the babies' names will be revealed next week when Tenten wakes up! If you read the original, then yes I am keeping the girl's name the same. **_

_**Okay next week's polls! **_

_**A) There's a relative peace for a couple of weeks after the birth, but then a nosy neighbor takes one look at one of the children and sees that they have the Byakugan. They tip off the Hyuuga, but Hiashi tells them that Hinata has seen the children and that they bear no resemblance to Neji or the Hyuuga. The situation is kept at bay, but people are still suspicious. **_

_**B) The Hyuuga, still skeptical about the paternity results, decide to pay Tenten a little visit. They catch her off guard, but luckily the children are with Naruto and Hinata. They ask if she could bring them to the compound later.**_

_**C) The Konoha 11 see the children for the first time, and realize that Tenten hadn't been entirely truthful about the paternity. Unfortunately for them, a few people overhear them and they tip the Hyuuga off. After much persuasion, Hiashi stands by the results of the test and requests that the children and Tenten be left alone. **_

_**D) Combination of A & C**_

_**Well, I don't think I want the Hyuuga finding out just yet that the babies are Neji's. I mean, I think they should be a little older and more able to handle it. Yes, the white dove will be more present in the story. This is a NejiTen story after all, and if not as a ghost, then in the form of something that can at least watch over them. Okay now for that manga chapter…okay I can't say it was a total let down. I mean the Kakashi-Obito team up really got me in the feels. But then of course they once again made Sakura look useless and utterly pathetic with that tiny bit of dialogue. Yeah, Kishimoto really enjoys screwing over his female characters doesn't he? But on the bright side looks like Naruto is going to live! And Gai still has the memory of a flea! Also…WHAT ABOUT THE DAMN FOOT?! Okay anyway, that's it for this week! Next update shall be March 7**__**th**__**! Remember I update every Friday! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Plz R&R! Thanks! Till next time! **_

_**CherryXButterfly(Angel) **_


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